Operation Scrubs 2008
(August 26, 08 - Project temporarily on hold. All hospitals reporting that they currently have enough scrubs. We will report back when we hear to the contrary. Thanks to all the kind folks who have and would like to donate scrubs.)
Operation Scrubs started in 2007 when Ben Diamond of HCCS spearheaded the effort to send colorful scrubs to a hospital in Kuwait. He was very successful and managed to marshall the resources of several hospitals across the country that participated.
In 2008, Decision Critical, an educational health care company in Texas, took up the banner again. First, they worked with a team from the Harlingen Medical Center of Harlingen, TX, and the group collected nine cartons of colorful scrubs. These were sent to several locations - the Balad Air Force Theater Hospital at Balad Air Base and the 31st CSH in Iraq and the Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.
Most recently, Decision Critical worked with a team from Lee Memorial Health System (LMHS) in Southern Florida. LMHS employees have been a strong advocate and supporter of more than 560 troops since May 2003. "These troops are our family members, co-workers or their family members, and community residents," reports Kimberley Gaide from LMHS. "Our staff of 9,600 and SW Florida residents are helping us collect scrubs to send to the troops. More than 200 scrubs have been sent and more are on the way!"
On May 14, 2008, we learned from Emma Tuel of Decision Critical that Lee Memorial Health System just shipped 19 more boxes to the Balad AF Theater Hospital today! 19 Boxes of Scrubs! "Thank you Balad and the Forward Operating Bases for taking care of our wounded soldiers! Lee Memorial Health System, as the only trauma center for 5 counties between Miami and Tampa, Florida, understands the Golden Hour," says Ms. Gaide.
Now, the Children’s National Medical Center, in Washington, DC, is also collecting scrubs. They started collecting during nurses week. “The nurses and other interested folks at CNMC have quickly latched onto the idea of donating their used scrubs," said a spokesperson with CNMC, Debra Derickson. "With focused but minimal advertising via our in-house email, the word is out, and we have already collected 5 or 6 large boxes of scrubs this week, our first effort to collect. We were amazed at the response. I anticipate that we will have ongoing efforts to collect more scrubs through mid-June, at least. We're hoping to being able to get them to the troops by the 4th of July -- that would be a nice goal.
There are other local contributors including local dentists and the University of Texas School of Nursing contributing to Decision Critical's efforts. Thanks to the Decision Critical Donation Drive Team comprising Dan, Emma, Richard, Rob, Ken and Eric for all your fine efforts. And thanks LMHS, Harligen Medical Center and now the CNMC for all your help! You guys sure understand what it means to brighten up the days and lives of our medical staff and troops at our military hospitals in the war zones. Thank you so much!!!
To read the Decision Critical press release CLICK HERE. To see a promotional shirt from LMHS CLICK HERE.
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| The Decision Critical Donation Drive Team comprising, top row (L to R): Dan, Emma, Richard and Eric; bottom row (L to R): CEO Ken D. and Rob. |
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| The team from Harlingen Medical Center, Harlingen, TX |
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| The staff at the Kuwait EMC show off some of the scrubs received from AaSP's Operation Scrubs. Scrubs came from Nassau University Medical Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Morehead Medical School and the Staten Island Operation Homefront. |
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| The Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, NY (Long Island), immediately pitched in to help "brighten" up the wards at the hospital in Kuwait. Pictured here (L to R) are: Ben Diamond, Pres., Health Care Compliance Strategies (who led the effort); and Walter Lazauskas, Laundry and Linens Mgr. and Paul Rowland, Chief Operating Officer, Nassau University Medical Center. Way to Go NUMC! |
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Operation Scrubs
(recent history - from 2007)
We received a request from a military hospital in Kuwait for some colorful scrubs. It seems that in the ward tents in the field, the staff wear sand colored scrubs or brown colored t-shirts and the medical staff and patients could use a little cheering up -- and colorful scrubs might just help!
Thanks to a chance meeting in an airport, AaSP linked up with Ben Diamond, President of Health Care Compliance Strategies (HCCS), a company specializing in the health care industry compliance training. Ben contacted several area hospitals and the first to respond was the Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) of East Meadow, NY, which donated 138 pairs of matched scrubs, then an additional 27 pair of pants and 40 shirts/dresses. Special thanks to Ben at HCCS and, at NUMC - Paul Rowland, Chief Operating Officer; Mark Brody, Acting Chief Compliance Officer; Shelley Lotenberg, Public Affairs Officer; and Walter Lazauskas, Laundry and Linens Manager.
The Morehouse School of Medicine of Atlanta, GA, also donated scrubs. How great is it that hospitals and medical schools around our country are contributing to this worthwhile effort to lift the spirits of our medical staff and soldiers in the Middle East! Thank you Morehouse and thanks again to Ben and HCCS for spearheading this project. These scrubs have already been received at the 31st Combat Support Hospital.
The scrubs from NUMC arrived in Kuwait. This from the Chaplain: "We got the scrubs! Thank you so much for doing this! I can't tell you how much the nurses and corpsmen appreciate the "color" around the tents now! It certainly has brightened the wards up! You and all the people involved are AWESOME! We will pass these on the Crew that will be relieving us so they can enjoy having some color in their deployment!" LCDR George M., Kuwait, 7-23-07
This also came from the Chaplain on 8-3-07: "When we broke out the scrubs we had a little "scrub party" to celebrate."
The Oregon Health and Science University Medical Group of Portland, OR, also donated scrubs. On Monday, July 17, a team at OHSU sent four boxes of scrubs to Kuwait (thanks Kathy and team!) From one coast to the other, hospitals are beginning to pitch in (thanks so much Ben!) to support our troops in this operation.
Originally, the Staten Island Project Homefront took up our cause and shipped 60 scrubs to Kuwait. Special thanks to Jack Semich for heading this effort.
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