Arkansas Tech University is helping provide health care professionals with access to the personal protective equipment they need to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Jeff Robertson, dean of the ATU College of Natural and Health Sciences and professor of astrophysics, delivered 13,120 gloves and 24 isolation gowns to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) on Wednesday, April 8. UAMS is providing logistical support for health care providers in need of such equipment.
The materials came from the inventory that ATU uses in its health-care related academic programs on campuses in Russellville and Ozark. According to data provided by the ATU Office of Institutional Research, Arkansas Tech conferred 1,184 health care credentials upon graduates during the 2018-19 academic year. That was most among all Arkansas institutions of higher education.
“As Arkansans, we have a shared objective of limiting the length and the severity of the pandemic in our state,” said Dr. Barbara J. Johnson, ATU vice president for academic affairs. “One of the best ways we can help is by supporting our doctors, nurses and other health care professionals, many of whom are ATU alumni. It is our hope that this inventory transfer will play a small role in keeping them safe. I applaud the faculty members on our campuses in Russellville and Ozark for working together to make this gift possible.”
As announced by Gov. Asa Hutchinson on April 5, Arkansans interested in supporting those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged to contribute to a relief fund established by the Arkansas Community Foundation.
Visit www.arcf.org/press-resources/responding-to-covid-19-in-arkansas for more information.
