(NAPLES, Florida – Sept. 2, 2020) – As Southwest Florida schools prepare for students to return, Arthrex, a global leader in minimally invasive orthopedic technology, announced it is using its innovative production capabilities to manufacture and donate more than 6,000 protective face shields to school systems across the region.
“We’re proud to continue supporting our community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic by donating PPE to Southwest Florida school systems. Education is an integral part of Arthrex’s core value of Making People Better, which is why we’re passionate about helping schools provide a safe environment for students, teachers and staff to focus on learning,” said Senior Communications Manager Lisa Gardiner.
This high-quality, reusable personal protective equipment (PPE) provides full-face protection for teachers and school staff as they welcome students back to the classroom. The face shields are produced at Arthrex’s manufacturing facility in Ave Maria, Florida.
“Arthrex continues to be a trusted partner in supporting education,” said Superintendent of Collier County Public Schools (CCPS) Dr. Kamela Patton. “With the current health pandemic, our school district is working hard to ensure students and staff returning to our 50-plus campuses are able to do so safely. These face shields will be used by clinical staff and within classrooms containing students with significant disabilities to provide an added layer of protection to limit the spread of COVID-19. We thank Arthrex for its ingenuity and support.”
The face shields are the same as those used by health care professionals and first responders and can supplement cloth face coverings for more comprehensive infection protection for all entering schools this year.
“Arthrex is very generous to provide face shields for the benefit of our staff. We are sincerely appreciative of any PPE donations from our community partners,” said School District of Lee County Health Coordinator Beth Wipf.
Since the onset of the pandemic, Arthrex has manufactured and donated thousands of pieces of PPE to health systems, ambulatory surgery centers, physician and dentist offices, assisted living and long-term care facilities, schools and first responders in Southwest Florida. All equipment donated can be sterilized and reused, helping preserve needed supplies while ensuring frontline teams have the protection they need to continue caring for the community.
Please contact Steve Doane at Steve.Doane@arthrex.com with any additional questions.
About Arthrex
Arthrex Inc., headquartered in Naples, FL, is a global leader in orthopedic surgical device design, research, manufacturing and medical education. Arthrex develops and releases more than 2,000 new products and procedures every year to advance minimally invasive orthopedics worldwide. For more information, visit Arthrex.com and OrthoIllustrated.com.