FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brooklyn, NY (October 21, 2020) – Project N95, the American College of Physicians (ACP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), a group of free clinics supported by the AAFP Foundation, and 14 other medical societies recently partnered in an Aggregation Group Purchasing Program. The goal was to promote the equitable distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) for smaller, community-based healthcare organizations looking to procure lower volumes of PPE at prices and terms they can afford. All participating medical societies are listed in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Participating Medical Societies

“Healthcare organizations are having a difficult time procuring verified medical equipment due to the recent stress placed on the PPE supply chain,” said Anne Miller, Executive Director at Project N95. “With our Aggregation Program, member physicians had access to verified N95 respirators, isolation gowns and face shields.”

Figure 2. Average Number of Boxes Purchased Per Item

Over 5,900 physicians and laboratory professionals took part in the program, with over 727,600 units of equipment purchased. Participants included healthcare workers at smaller healthcare practices in at-risk or under-represented communities, including outpatient medical practices, Federally Qualified Health Centers, rural health clinics and ambulatory surgery centers. Project N95 oversaw the entire process, including the vetting of available products, customer service support, and the distribution of all purchased equipment.

An average of three boxes of N95 masks were purchased per order, showing that many healthcare workers are looking to acquire smaller quantities of equipment, sometimes down to a single box. This included those working at hospitals that are also unable to meet PPE needs.

The launch of the Aggregation Program followed the successful completion of a pilot—one which protected over 55,800 frontline workers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico —organized by Project N95 and ACP in July. The Aggregation Program expanded upon the pilot to include members from other societies.

“Internal medicine physicians have a critical need to secure PPE as they’re serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and patient care, and our partnership with Project N95 helped support that need,” said Darilyn V. Moyer, MD, ACP Executive Vice President and CEO. “Small physician practices have been at a significant disadvantage for getting the PPE they need, so we wanted to extend the opportunity to secure PPE to other medical societies so that they could also help their independent physician members and small physician practices. This partnership helped us support our frontline ACP members and ensure their safety so they can continue to provide patient care.”

Seven months into the pandemic, little has changed in regards to the disruptions in the PPE supply chain. As the COVID-19 crisis continues, Project N95 and ACP will persist in their mission to help those working on the frontlines get the PPE they need to stay safe.

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The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 163,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. ACP Media Contact: Andrew Hachadorian, (215) 351-2514, AHachadorian@acponline.org

Project N95 is the national clearinghouse for critical PPE and essential medical supplies. As the leading rapid response 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Project N95 helps healthcare and frontline workers source PPE from vetted suppliers while driving transparency in the market through procurement best practices. Visit projectn95.org to learn more, and following us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Project N95 Press contact: press@projectn95.org