Health Professionals Call for Federal Coordination on Medical Supplies and Comprehensive Testing

Centralized, federal leadership is necessary for the efficient purchase and distribution of medical equipment, including personal protective equipment, ventilators, and testing resources. Health professionals across the country are urging the Trump Administration to set up comprehensive testing infrastructure, and ensure that health care workers get critical medical supplies that they need to protect themselves and care for COVID-19 patients. 

May 1st, 2020

The President  

The White House 

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500

 

Dear President Trump, 

Cc: Adm. Brett Giroir

Centralized, federal leadership is necessary for the efficient purchase and distribution of medical equipment, including personal protective equipment, ventilators, and testing resources.[1] State governments depend on the federal government for aid and assistance during times of national emergency.[2] Just as importantly, without central coordination, states are forced to compete against each other for critical supplies, which leads to skyrocketing prices and increased risk for members of the public and health care workers.[3]

 

Therefore, we the undersigned strongly recommend the following:

  1. The federal government should immediately establish a “medical equipment czar” and associated task force with the mission of overseeing the national supply and distribution of medical equipment. The task force should partner with the Defense Logistics Agency on logistics and national distribution, and be given the resources and authority to:

  • Inventory and monitor the supply of medical equipment.

  • Forecast the spread of the novel coronavirus to anticipate the need for medical supplies in areas that are experiencing high rates of infection. 

  • Ensure adequate production and procurement of medical supplies by working with the Trump administration to fully utilize the Defense Production Act. 

  • Oversee the purchase and end-to-end distribution of medical equipment directly to impacted areas.  

  1. The described task force undertakes its mission with full transparency by:

  • Releasing detailed plans for task force organization and resource needs and allocation.

  • Providing frequent updates throughout the course of the COVID-19 crisis detailing its efforts.

  • Providing state and local governments with any information they need to coordinate response efforts.

  1. Ensure that Admiral Giroir, the testing chief: 

  • Coordinates the effort to expand testing capacity and expedited test processing.[4]

  • Sets up infrastructure for widespread use of the COVID-19 serological test. 

  • Works with the Administration to fully utilize the Defense Production Act to get the tests and testing supplies, while setting clear standards for quality and expanding testing options through newly authorized labs, drive-through and home testing.

  • Sets up a national, coordinated network that can identify and trace future pockets of infection before they multiply into larger outbreaks.   

Thank you for considering our urgent request as health professionals work to save lives during this unprecedented public health challenge. 

Sincerely,

 

Matthew Wellington 

Public Health Campaigns Director, U.S. PIRG 

Justin Lowenthal MD-PhD Candidate 

National Board of Directors & Maryland State Director, Doctors for America

Val Griffeth, MD, PhD 

Co-Founder, Get Us PPE 

Jeff Carter, JD 

Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility 

Milla Kviatkovsky, DO, MPH

CEO/Co-founder of Frontline PPENOW 

Robert Gould, MD 

Physicians for Social Responsibility, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter 

Tanya Khemet Taiwo, PhD, MPH, CPM

National Association of Certified Professional Midwives

Maddie Ribble

Director of Public Policy & Campaign Strategy, Massachusetts Public Health Association

Donna Kelly-Williams, RN 

President of the Massachusetts Nurses Association

Stacia Clinton, RDN 

Chief Program Officer, Health Care Without Harm U.S. and Practice Greenhealth


Omnia Abdella, Rn- Coram, NY

Daniel Adelman, MD- Brisbane, CA

Sophia Ali, MD- Toledo, OH

Erica Allen, DNP,MBA,RN- Merrillville, IN

Jennifer Alvis, RN- VA

Moriah Anderson, D.P.T.- North Bergen, NJ

Janet Andrews, M.D.- Southport, CT

Jocelyn Ang, MD- Detroit, MI

JL Angel- Rescue, CA

Barbara Angell, RN, MS, FNP- Piedmont, CA

Vicki Archer, LMFT- Santa Barbara, CA

Pam Arnau, RN, BSN- New York, NY

Guadalupe Arreola, MD- Salinas, CA

Vivek Ashok, M.D.- Pittsburgh, PA

Vicki Bacidore, DNP, APRN- Maywood, IL

Trish Ballard, RDH- Menlo Park, CA

Ellynne Bannon, RN- Grand Junction, CO

Michele Barry, MD FACP FASTMH- Los Altos Hills, CA

Sarah Bass, BCBA- Pomona, CA

Kerry Becklund, OTR/L- Oakland, CA

John Bellettiere, PhD, MPH- San Diego, CA 

Valerie Bengal, MD- Santa Cruz, CA

Dixie Benshoff , PhD- Aurora, OH

Rachel Berger, MD- Belmont, MA

Katelin Blackburn, MD- Boston, MA

Maxwell Blake, P.T., DPT- Arlington, VA

Samantha Boaz, RN, NP- Petaluma, CA

Amy Borenstein, PhD- Carlsbad, CA

David Brams, MD- Belmont, MA

Lynne Braun, PhD, RN- LaGrange, IL

Laura Brennan, MS, RN- Clarendon Hills, IL

Barbara Brigham, retired, MT (ASCP)- Philadelphia, PA

Ana Brightleaf, DMD- Topanga, CA

Margot Broaddus, LCSW- El Cerrito, CA

Kimberly Brouwer, PhD- La Jolla, CA 

Susan Brown, Health care technical marketing consultant- Santa Cruz, CA

Francine Bruder, MD- Portage, MI

Laurence Brunton, PhD, Prof. Pharmacology, UCSD School of Medicine- San Diego,CA

Amanda Bryson, MD- Boston, MA

Isabel Buckingham, Nursing Student- Philadelphia, PA

MarLynn Bushnell, RN- Ventura, CA

Carolyn Callahan, RN

Kathy Carder, RN- Venice, CA

Judy Carino, MSN, RN, APRN-BC- Plainfield, IL

Jessica Carle, CRNA- Holmdel, NJ

Erin Carlson, DrPH, MPH- Fort Worth, TX

Gita Chadalawada, D.O.- Des Peres, MO

Annemarie Charlesworth, MA – Kensington, CA

Elaine Chatterton, RN- Westminster, CO

Marina Chekmareva, MD- Highland Park, NJ

Zsu-Zsu Chen, M.D- Boston, MA

Renuka Chirakuzhiyil, RN- Dobbs ferry, NY

Della Chu, RN- Forest Hills, NY

Michelle Collins, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, FNAP- Chicago, IL

George Colnaghi, PhD – Princeton, NJ

Gail Comey, PhD- Oakland, CA

Peggy Conwell, MLT- Burlington, CO

Sara Corchado, RN- New York, NY

Douglas Daetz, Ph.D.- Sunnyvale, CA

Patrick Davis MD, PhD- Boston, MA

Lauren Deldin, PhD- Fairfax, CA

Denise Delves, Ed.D, RN- Chicago, IL

Michael Digalbo, RN Medical ICU- Newbury, NH

Jan Douglas, MD- Denver, CO

Joan Dowgielewicz, EMT paramedic/PCA- West Hartford, CT

Richard Drosendahl- Santa Barbara, CA

Loretta Dubray, MS- Portage, MI

Gary Eaton, MD- Del Mar, CA

Mark Eisenberg, MD- Brookline, MA

Mark Ellis, MD- Berkeley, CA

Kwasi Enin, MD student- St Louis, MO

Rita Fahrner, RN- San Francisco, CA

Laili Falatoonzadeh, MS, RN- Yorkville, CA

Charlie Farrell, RN, MSN- Oakland, CA

Erving Fernandez, RN- Whitestone, NY

Jessica Fielden, M.D.- Oakland, CA

Lana Fishkin, MD- Bala Cynwyd, PA

Emily Fox, B.A.- Mill Valley, CA

Lisa Frey, BS- Emerald Hills, CA

Michael Friedman- El Sobrante, CA

Kathleen Fruin, RN- Charlestown, RI

Tova Fuller MS, MD, PhD- San Francisco, CA

Sherrill Futrell, MA- Davis, CA

Ed Gallagher, CRT;RRT- Oakland, CA

Edard Gallagher, CRT;RRT- Oakland , CA

Lauren Gambill, MD- Austin, TX

A Gardnerp, MD, MPH, PhD- Oakland, CA

Claudiu Georgescu, MD

Julie Gold, M.A, Clinical Psychology, R.T., M.- Santa Barbara, CA

Warren M. Gold, MD- Mill Valley, CA

Michelle Goodman, RN- Brooklyn, NY

Nicole Goodwin, RN, FNP- Philadelphia, PA

Mirela Grabic MS, CCRP- Saint Louis, MO

James Gracer, MD- Orinda, CA

Kelly Grande, R.N.- Bronx, NY

Thalia Gray, PhD, L.Ac.- Pittsburgh, PA

Julie Groves, Occupational Therapist- Los Gatos, CA

Fred Grumm, EMT- Woodacre, CA

Mary Guenseth, MSN/Ed, RN- Galesburg, IL

Suman Gupta, MD- Jamaica, NY

Ana Haguisan, RN- New Milford, NJ

Amanda Halpin, RN, NP- San Francisco, CA

Scott Hamstra, MD- Sells, AZ

Drew Harris, DPM, MPH- Philadelphia, PA

Wendell Harry, MD- Salinas, CA

Irana Hawkins, PhD, MPH, RDN- Seattle, WA

Janice Hayes, EMT- San Rafael, CA

Eileen Heaser, RN- Sacramento, CA

Ruth Heifetz, M.D., M.P.H.- La Jolla, CA

Cassandra Heiselman, DO, MPH- Amityville, NY

Darell Heiselman, D.O.- Akron, OH

Eric Hekler, PhD- San Diego, CA

Jayme Hennessy, NP- Chelsea, MA

Kaitlin Henry, Nursing student- Weston, MA

Rachel Hirschberger, MD, MPH- Boston, MA

Charlotte Houston, CO- Pleasanton, CA

Raymond Hoyt, RPh- Santa Barbara, CA

Annette Hubbell, PhD RN- Peoria, IL

Brianne Huber, MD, MPH- Salinas, CA

Saul Hymes, MD- Stony Brook, NY

Samantha Iliescu, RN- Macon, GA

Kimberly Ingram, LPN- Gaffney, SC

Kathy Inman, CLS Clinical Laboratory Scientist- Sebastopol, CA

Ernest Isaacs, MFT- Berkeley, CA

Emma Jaworski, nursing student- Philadelphia, PA

Urmeka Jefferson, PhD, RN- Chicago, IL

Kathony Jerauld, R.D., M.P.H.- Amador City, CA

Suzanne Johannet, MD- Belmont, MA

Latisha Johnson, RN- Hoboken, NJ

Ancy Joseph, RN- Tappan, NY

Bonnie Kaiser, PhD, MPH- San Diego, CA

Angelica Kamau, RN- Sunnyvale, CA

Sanjat Kanjilal, MD, MPH- Cambridge, MA

Bonnie Keller, RN- Palo Alto, CA

Mary Kenner, CLS- Culver City, CA

William Keough, MD, MSc, FAAP- Pittsburgh, PA

Noel Kerr, PhD, RN, CMSRN- Normal, IL

Edward Ketyer, M.D.- Venetia, PA

Rebecca King, RN- Warwick, NY

Karen Kirschling- San Francisco, CA

Sarah Knapp , MD- Boston, MA

Karl Koessel- Blue Lake, CA

Cathy Lambert, Rn- Stamford, CT

Rachel Latta, CNM- Oakland, CA

Cecile Leneman- Berkeley, CA

Laurice Levine , CCLS/Medical Consultant- Petaluma, CA

Susan Lessin, MD- Foster City, CA

Alyssa Letourneau, MD, MPH- Winchester, MA

Moreen Libet, Ph.D.- Davis, CA

Alida Lindsley OTR/L- Ben Lomond, CA

Xiao Liu, Pharm D- San Marino, CA

Patty Manpearl, RD- Ventura, CA

Elizabeth Matsui, MD- Austin, TX

Madison McBarnes, RN- Grand Rapids, MI

Mariposa Mccall, MD- Berkeley, CA

Christine McCullum-Gomez, PhD, RDN

Audrey McDowell, nursing student- Philadelphia, PA

Eric McGrath, MD- Detroit, MI

Ron Medzon, M.D.- Belmont, MA

Anthony Mehle, M.D.- OH

Sanjay Mehta, MD- San Diego, CA

Dolores Minchhoff, DNP, CRNP- Holtwood, PA

Cheryl Mitouer, Somatic Therapist- Gualala, CA

Victoria Moffitt, Medical student (2nd year)- Philadelphia, PA

Samantha Morales, RN- West New York, NJ

Harry Morgan, M.D.- Glastonbury, CT

Anna Mullins, Phd, RN- San Rafael, CA

Jennifer Munday, PhD, MPH- San Diego, CA

Patricia Murray MN, CPNP- Blue Ridge, GA

Rand Nashi, M.D.- Jamaica Plain, MA

Fern Nelson, M.D.- San Diego, CA

Scott Nelson, RT- Bethel Island, CA

Grace Ng M.D. Candidate- Philadelphia, PA

Henry Nguyen, NP- New York, NY

Tristan Nichols, D.O.- Berkeley, CA

Angela Ning, RN- New York, NY

Sabrina Noel, DO- Soquel, CA

Ahmed Omar, MD- OH

Grace Orekoya, NP- Valley stream, NY

Michelle Orengo-McFarlane, MD- El Sobrante, CA

Jeffrey Otto, MSU- Santa Cruz, CA

David Ozonoff, MD, MPH- Cambridge, MA

Sameer Patel, MD MPH- Chicago, IL

Gary Patou, M.D.- Los Altos, CA

Jo Ellen Patterson, Ph.D.

Trina Peduzzi, MD- Pittsburgh, PA

Marta Peimer, NP- New York, NY

Scott Percy, MA, MFT- Oakland, CA

Joanna Perdomo, M.D.- Boston, MA

Janet Perlman, MD, MPH- Berkeley, CA

Melissa Pertl, MSN, RN, CNE- St Charles, IL

Laura Petersen, RN- New York, NY

Michael Pratt, MD, MPH, MSPE- San Diego, CA

Lance Price, PhD- Washington D.C.

Margaret Quattlander, RN- New York, NY

Valerie Ragon, RN,MS- Creve coeur, IL

Alana Ralston, RN- Brookline , MA

Reshma Ramachandran, MD, MPP- Los Angeles, CA

Uma Raman, MD- Philadelphia, PA

Anna Ramirez, Caregiver- Santa Barbara, CA

Benjamin Ramsden-Stein, DO- Santa Cruz, CA

John Ramunas, PhD- Mountain View, CA

Jonathan Rapp, M.D.- San Francisco, CA

George Record, MD- Manchester by the sea, MA

Christine Reeves, EMT- Denver, CO

Bonita Richman, RN- Oakland, CA

Bethanne Riedel, RN- NE

Susan Robbins, M.D., M.P.H. – Philadelphia, PA

Sarah Robinson, PA- Campbell, CA

Alexis Robles, RN- Ossining, NY

John Rooney, RN- Manhattan, NY

Adina Rose, MFT- Kensington, CA

Evan Rosen, MD, Ph.D- Arlington, MA

Donald Rosenberger- Three Springs, PA

Sharon Rothbart- RN, LCSW- Montclair, NJ

Stephen Rovno, MD- San Mateo, CA 

Kathy Ruppel, MD, PhD- Stanford, CA

Brenna Savage, RN- San Jose, CA

Sundance Scardino- Firefighter/Paramedic, Retired Pararescuemen- Half Moon Bay, CA

Leslie Scheunemann, MD, MPH- Pittsburgh, PA

Elsbet Servay FNP-BC, AAHIVS, ACHPN- New York, NY

Richard Shames, M.D.

Ahmed Shawaqfeh, MD- Detroit, MI

David Sherman, PhD- Seattle, WA

Daisy Sherry, PhD- Darien, IL

Stephen Shih, MD- South Pasadena, CA

Carolyn Shuman, M.D.- San Francisco, CA

Barry Shur, PhD- South Pasadena, CA

Cindy Sidaris, OTR/L- Los Altos, CA

Leanne Simmons, LMFT- Palo Alto, CA

Cheryl Simmons, Ph.D.- Alhambra, CA

Tara Smith, PhD- Mogadore, OH

Rebecca Soffer, PsyD- Berkeley, CA

Nicole Soileau, Cdu tech- Silver Spring, MD 

Amanda Stewart, MD, MPH- Boston, MA

Christine Strohmeyer, MD- Solana Beach, CA

Abigail Tapper, MPH- Waltham, MA

Zachary Taxin, MD- Cambridge, MA

Alexandra Taylor, RN, BSN- New York, NY

Nicholas Taylor, MPH- South Pasadena, CA

Sara Theiss, JD- Richmond, CA

Paul Thottungal, RCP- Fremont, CA

Erif Thunen, Special Education Certification- Albion, CA

Pela Tomasello, L.Ac.,- Santa Cruz, CA

Erin Tracy, M.D.- Davis, CA

Jessica Tse, MD- Loma Linda, CA

Walter Tsou, MD. MPH- Philadelphia, PA

Christian Urias, Therapist- Chula Vista, CA

Maria Vamvini, MD- Boston, MA

Emily Velasco, BS. R.EEG T.- Encinitas, CA

Jennifer Wagman, PhD, MHS- Los Angeles, CA

Paul Walker, LVN- Santa Barbara, CA

Agatha Wein, M.S.- San Diego, CA

Scott Weissman, MD- Seattle, WA

Gregory Westcott, MD- Boston, MA

Jay Whaley, M.D.- Palo Alto, CA

Emily Wico, RN- Yorktown heights, NY

Keira Wickliffe Berger, RN, MSN, MPH- Eastchester, NY 

Donald Wilhelm, PhD- Los Gatos, CA

Kristina Wolf- Walnut Creek, CA

Daniel Wolk, M.D.- Penn Valley, PA

William Wood, MD- Bangor, ME

Daniel Wright, MD- Denver, CO

James Wright M.D.- Oakland, CA

B Zimmerman, M.D.- Woodside, CA

Larry Zucker LCSW- Los Angeles, CA

 

Sources 

[1] The World Health Organization suggests, with regard to PPE, that “The management of PPE should be coordinated through essential national and international supply chain management mechanisms”:

https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331215/WHO-2019-nCov-IPCPPE_use-2020.1-eng.pdf

[2]  The role of federal government during emergencies is described in: Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Response Framework, Fourth Edition, 29 October 2019, available at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/117791; An overview and history of federal assistance to states is available in: Federal Emergency Management Agency, A Citizen’s Guide to Disaster Assistance, September 2003, available at https://training.fema.gov/emiweb/downloads/is7complete.pdf.

[3] On March 22, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo wrote on Twitter that “states are competing against other states for supplies.” https://twitter.com/nygovcuomo/status/1241744786366889984?s=21 And on March 20, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced that Massachusetts had been outbid by the federal government for medical supplies, creating an obstacle to adequately supplying the state: https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/03/20/charlie-baker-donald-trump-coronavirus-medical-supplies. On April 2nd, Propublica published an investigation citing that New York has had to pay between four and 15 times the usual rate for medical supplies: https://www.propublica.org/article/in-desperation-new-york-state-pays-up-to-15-times-the-normal-price-for-medical-equipment.

[4] Public health experts lay out what’s needed with testing in OpEd in the Wall Street Journal, The Road Back to Normal, More, Better Testing by Scott Gottlieb and Lauren Silvi, https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-road-back-to-normal-more-better-testing…

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