Hospital to Hospital: Doylestown Health Employees Send Thousands of Medical Supplies to Ukraine

By

men pointing at an xray
Image via marko lonnqvist at Creative Commons.
The Doylestown Health donations will help in all areas of medical emergencies related to the Russian invasion, including those in various field hospitals like this one near Mariupol.

Seeing the images and hearing of the suffering in Ukraine, Doylestown Health medical staff wanted to do something meaningful to help. When the Bucks County medical professionals learned of a Ukrainian hospital asking for donations of medical supplies, they jumped into action. Hospital-wide, a collection of new and gently used medical supplies was assembled for immediate use by the people of Ukraine.

There were so many supplies gathered — in the thousands — that when a truck was arranged to pick up the donations on Monday, a second truck had to be ordered to gather it all.

The shipment left by airlift to Ukraine yesterday, bringing items ranging from defibrillators and echocardiogram machines to sterile gowns and syringes.

Desire to Help

This collective donation effort was the result of the staff in Sterile Processing, Medical Research, Pharmacy, and the Laboratory and Clinical Engineering departments.

“Everyone has been thinking about Ukraine non-stop,” says Christine Roussel, PharmD, BCOP, BCSCP, Senior Executive Director of Pharmacy, Laboratory and Medical Research.

“All it took was for a list of supplies requested by a Ukrainian hospital for us to jump into action. Every department that was asked to support instantly did the needed work. So everything was ready to go within two days.”

Close to Home

Separately, Oleg Vinnikov, MD, a hospitalist at Doylestown Hospital (who is originally from Maldova with close family in Ukraine), was contacted by a Ukrainian-American friend who was coordinating a similar effort through Germantown Academy and needed medical supplies.

Dr. Vinnikov immediately reached out to Christine and Scott Levy, MD, Chief Medical Officer, about the donation effort. They wanted to help in that effort as well.

“War is always bad,” says Dr. Vinnikov. “But I feel like what’s happening now in Ukraine is like it’s next door because we’re so connected through the Internet and cell phones.”

He explained that some of his family members are living in bomb shelters, while other relations have escaped to Poland. “It is hard to imagine people you grew up with hiding in bomb shelters, and streets you walked multiple times being in ruins,” he added.

He was able to receive the donated medical supplies within a day after his request, and they’re already also headed to Ukraine. He says he is so thankful and feels his efforts are the least he can do.

Christine Levy (Dr. Levy’s wife) reports that many more Doylestown Hospital associates have expressed wanting to help. A third shipment to Ukraine is being prepared, containing more over-the-counter medications and wound care supplies.

Connect With Your Community

Subscribe for stories that matter!

"*" indicates required fields

Hidden
BT Yes
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Advertisement