The West Virginia Department of Health’s Center for Threat Preparedness (CTP) recently distributed nearly 20 pallets of excess medical supplies to public school classrooms across the state, directly benefiting students as they explore possible careers in public health.
Donated items, which included face shields, gowns, clipboards, and sanitizer, were originally given to the Department by federal sources, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and were designated mainly for COVID-19 response. The Department had been sourcing possible avenues to utilize this over-abundance of personal protective equipment (PPE) stock before it faced expiration when a Fayette County teacher reached out, giving the scope of need for training materials and requesting supplies for her students.
Secretary of Health, Dr. Arvin Singh readily approved the distribution, not just to one school but to any that made a request for supplies.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for our department to identify areas where we have more than we need and be able to reallocate those items to those who can truly utilize and appreciate them,” Singh shares. “We hope that these supplies can make a difference in the lives of students by giving them a well-rounded, real-life experience of the healthcare sector. These are our future doctors, nurses, and health staff; these are lives we need to be investing in. I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this.”
“This overstock of PPE in the wake of the pandemic is not something that is unique to West Virginia,” says CTP Director Col. Robert Kincaid. “But what I do find unique is how we were able to work with these schools and find innovative ways to make sure that supplies that we were given years ago can be put to use right now.”
The opportunity to receive a portion of the supplies was presented to all schools in the state by the West Virginia Department of Education. More than 20 schools responded, listing items they needed to better classroom instruction for elementary, middle, high school, and vocational school students. Supplies will be used to create mock-clinical environments, allow students to participate in community service projects, and more.
“I cannot begin to express my gratitude to the Department of Health and the Center for Threat Preparedness for this incredible shipment of supplies,” says Beth Roberts, Highlander Health Sciences Instructor for Webster County High School. “What they’ve provided doesn’t just support a classroom; it supports a movement in one of the most rural parts of West Virginia to inspire young people to pursue careers in health, break generational poverty, and become leaders who care deeply about their communities.”
“Our educators appreciate the donation of PPE to support instruction and student learning,” adds State Superintendent of Schools Michele L. Blatt. “Teachers and instructors are creative and innovative when tapping into resources for their classrooms and clinics, and these assets will be of great benefit to them. We are grateful for the Department of Health’s insight in making these items available, and to our schools for working with them to put everything to good use.”
