To: OSU Faculty, Staff and Leadership
From: Edward Feser, Provost and Executive Vice President
March 22, 2020
Dear OSU faculty, staff, and leadership:
As you are aware, personal protection equipment (PPE) supplies required by health providers in Oregon are running out. The situation is so dire that it is essential that we collect supplies from all units and all facilities throughout the University. Therefore, please read the below carefully and respond immediately to Mike Bamberger, OSU's Emergency Manager. Mike is responsible for the University-wide response on this matter. Mike’s contact information: [email protected]; W: 541-737-4713; C: 541-758-9126.
We need to inventory and collect the following items:
- N95 masks
- Surgical (ear loop) masks
- Safety glasses/goggles
- Gloves (latex or nitrile)
- Disposable gowns
- Cloth gowns (that can be laundered)
- Scientific swabs (to take nasal cultures
Mike will coordinate assembling the University's inventory and notifying the State PPE Officer of availability. Please send him a list of all PPE supplies that your lab, office, or facility has in stock. If you already sent information to Staci Simonich or the Research Office, let Mike know and he will double-check the information he has from the Research Office.
We are aware that some PPE supplies may be required to meet the needs that are deemed critical to maintaining academic, research, and operations. In reporting your inventories to Mike, indicate whether you believe reported supplies are critical or non-critical/surplus.
Mike will track what is reported and collected by department/point of contact. Please be advised that we have no solution for reimbursement at this time. We will certainly do what we can to address losses units face, but our first priority must be meeting this urgent public health need. By state law, all supplies must be inventoried and made available to coordinating state authorities as soon as possible. The impact to grants and research will have to be dealt with once we are past this crisis.
Mike will reach out and coordinate a pickup of items. If the supplies are not needed, they will be returned after the PPE crisis has passed.
This is an unusual situation and I thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Edward Feser
Provost and Executive Vice President