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A SHLEY G OFF — HEPA A IR M ACHINES Ashley Goff, a nurse working in the Intensive Care Unit, has been crucial in the fight against COVID-19 at Jackson Hospital. Ashley began noticing the increase in COVID-19 patients in the state of Alabama and recognized the need for additional air pu- rification options at the hospital. Ashley discussed air quality op- tions with her father, who works for a local construction company: The Clement Group, LLC. With the help of her father and his boss, Mr. Craig Clement, The Clement Group was able to provide 21 negative pressure HEPA air machines to Jackson Hospital. The HEPA air machines convert regular patient rooms into neg- ative pressure rooms and increases air purification for staff working in compromised areas. HEPA air machines work by utilizing neg- ative pressure to control the air leaving an isolated patient room and filtering clean air back into the hospital. This air filtration system is one of the many infection control techniques used throughout Jackson Hospital. Ashley and her father personally sanitized all machines and had them ready for transport. Ashley’s forethought and clinical knowl- edge helped us quickly and efficiently adapt our hospital for infec- tious patients, while ensuring the safety and health of other patients and staff alike. B ARBARA V AN DE W ATER — M ONTGOMERY F IGHTING COVID Barbara Van de Water was in the midst of her medical student clinical rotations at Jackson Hospital when COVID-19 appeared in the United States. Amidst preparations for COVID-19 at the hospital, medical schools such as the Alabama College of Osteo- pathic Medicine in Dothan began pulling students, like Barbara, from medical facilities. Barbara and her husband Scott quickly recognized the need for PPE and came up with a plan to make face shields for medical professionals fighting against the virus. Barbara and Scott began producing face shields with the help of a 3D printer, taking roughly 3 hours to print each frame. As word spread of their efforts, 30 more individuals, ranging from high school students to tech gurus, volunteered their own 3D printers to help the cause. Maxwell Air Force Base and local schools such as Pike Road, Montgomery Academy, Trinity Presbyterian School, and Alabama State University, also heard about their face shield mission and began printing as well. At the peak of production, Montgomery Fighting COVID had nearly 40 printers producing face shields. With an outpouring of support, Barbara and Scott joined forces with Vaughn Forest Church to help themmanage donations, stor- age space, and volunteers. Vaughn Forest Church became a hub for drop-offs, pick-ups, and assembly of the 3D printed face shields. While the movement has caught a lot of buzz locally, Montgomery Fighting COVID is part of a much larger, worldwide organization producing PPE for frontline healthcare workers. The design for the face shields, called “The Prusa,” was created in the Czech Re- public and the printing process refined in the San Francisco Bay area. Groups all over the country began printing, including the Montgomery group and an additional group in Huntsville. With the help of 40 volunteers in the River Region and over 500 volunteers in the state of Alabama, Montgomery Fighting COVID joined forces under Alabama Fighting COVID and collaborated to produce the face shields through injection molding. The injec- tion molding process takes place in Vinemont, Alabama in a facility that is capable of producing 3,000 face shields per day. Over 7,000 face shields have been distributed locally and over 31,000 statewide. These and many other healthcare heroes work together at Jack- son Hospital. During this fight against COVID-19, their unwa- vering dedication has championed the way to many successes. Through the creation of innovative processes and increasing the use of tried and true protocols, it is proof that our communities will get through this together. n Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter JUNE/JULY 2020 31 ..................................................................................................................................................................... Dr. John Jernigan and Barbara Van DeWater give a thumbs-up to their face shields. Jackson Hospital nurses in their face shields.