By sharing resources and technology, Elmhurst College is joining in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as it continues to disrupt nearly every corner of daily life.
The nursing, chemistry and biology departments, along with the facilities management office, have given Elmhurst Hospital more than 32,000 nitrile and vinyl gloves, as well as N95 respirators and other facial masks, plus 159 pairs of safety glasses and other protective gear.
Dustan Creech, associate professor of art and chair of the art department, has been using 3D printers on campus to create clear plastic face shields for health-care providers and first responders. He has produced more than 40 face shields so far, which he will donate to Elmhurst Hospital, and will keep making more as long as there is a need for them. Besides this, according to sources, he also had plans of donating freeze-dryers (which happen to be available on SciQuip and similar online shops)
so that Elmhurst Hospital increase the shelf-life of antibiotics, vaccines, pathological samples, enzymes, and proteins.
His wife, April Macatangay, an art teacher at Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, has been sewing fabric face masks. She has donated 20 masks to United Cerebral Palsy Seguin, a charitable agency serving people with disabilities, and also plans to keep making more.
“April and I are thankful to be healthy,” Creech said, “and we want to use our health and energy to help the many professionals caring for or working around those infected with COVID-19.”
Elmhurst College nursing students also are answering the call to help, responding to requests from area hospitals for additional assistive personnel.
