SOURCING MUCH NEEDED PPE, A REQUEST FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVE & MORE UPDATES

Dear Friends,

This morning we had a very informative webinar with Dr. Ruth Carrico, UofL Division of Infectious Disease. Dr. Carrico spoke about the history of COVID-19, the university’s role in combating the pandemic, and a projection for the course of the illness. It is clear we must ramp up our efforts to increase testing as well as the manufacture or acquisition of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Healthcare Facilities Need PPE Locally & Across the Nation:
Locally, if your company has or can manufacture face masks, face shields, swab kits, ventilators, hand sanitizer, gloves, or other equipment that could be useful to healthcare personnel in this time of need, please contact Deana Epperly Karem and she will coordinate an introduction to the supply chain leaders.

Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) have launched resource pages for companies that can/will manufacture PPE so that we can protect those fighting COVID-19 on the front lines.

• FEMA has created a How to Help COVID-19 resource page specifically for the private sector. This page links interested vendors with FEMA’s standing RFQ for personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies, and also has information for those wishing to offer other products and services.
• The DoD has launched a COVID-19 Joint Acquisition Task Force (JATF) Industry Portal where interested vendors can complete a form to provide information on ways they can help support our nation’s current response and continued resiliency.
• Vendors who have not yet done business with the DoD can view a step-by-step approach to get started here.

GLI Partners with the Federal Reserve on an Economic Impact Study

In addition, GLI is partnering with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to conduct a confidential survey of business leaders in the seven-state region of the Eighth Federal Reserve District. The survey will directly assist monetary policymakers and regional leaders in making decisions that impact the employment and financial situations of businesses in our region. The survey does not require a firm name, and individual responses will be accessible only by a few economists at the Federal Reserve. The aggregate results will be analyzed and complied into a report for the public. If you have questions regarding this survey, please contact Charles Gascon, Regional Economist at the St. Louis Fed or Deana Epperly Karem at GLI.

GLI Partners with KentuckianaWorks on a Displaced Worker Initiative

Finally, as a reminder, GLI, in partnership with KentuckianaWorks has launched an initiative to support displaced workers and provide employers with assistance as they navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. This two-pronged approach supports both workers and employers with a new job board highlighting current opportunities in the region, and an effort to connect HR professionals laying off workers with other HR professionals who are hiring, considering translatable skill sets, competencies and hiring requirements as we connect employers. Contact Jessie Schook if you are an employer looking for assistance.

Other Updates:

• Check out our new COVID-19 Crisis Support Hub resource center, developed in partnership with numerous local organizations, where businesses and individuals can find information on a variety of topics that relate to COVID-19 like the small business continuity loan program, social distancing guidelines, tax deadlines, and a FAQ page for your most pressing questions.
• With the demand for PPE, the University of Louisville’s J.B. Speed School of Engineering is using their 3-D printing equipment to produce a requested 27,000 face shields.
• The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened just 94, 931 air travelers on Wednesday, making it the first time since 1954 when air travel fell to below 100,000 travelers per day.
• If you need a break from COVID-19 coverage, take a virtual tour of New York’s museum district.

Guest Commentary

Fighting Two Life Threatening Conditions At Once – Guest Commentary from Scott B. Hesseltine, MBA, LCADC, Vice President Addiction Services, Seven Counties ServicesT

he Seven Counties Services Addiction Services division has remained opened and here to help throughout the COVID-19 crisis. We continue to serve the community while placing several important safety measures in place that put patient and staff safety at the forefront. Safety is the filter through which we make all of our decisions in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.

We know that substance use disorder does not shelter in place and we are currently fighting two potentially life threatening illnesses at the same time. As we know, our nation has been in the middle of a substance use disorder epidemic which has taken the lives of far too many of our citizens across the Commonwealth.

We are positioned to remain open to provide essential services to fight this life threatening illness while having also having made several significant alterations to our service delivery in order to remain safe in the face of COVID-19. In our residential treatment settings, we have reduced our bed availability in order to maintain appropriate social distancing guidelines while simultaneously enhancing our health screening measures and significantly increasing our cleaning protocols.

Additionally, many of our outpatient services are available virtually and we have moved to a virtual admission process whereby anyone can call in and receive an evaluation and level of care placement on demand. For individuals in need of residential treatment, they can call in for an evaluation or walk in and have an evaluation conducted through our virtual kiosk services. Our residential facilities have enacted enhanced monitoring for symptom surveillance for both staff and patients.

We remain open and here to help while putting staff and patient safety first. At Seven Counties Services, we know that the need for substance use services is only going to increase and you can count on us as your safe, supportive, community resource.