Alvin Community College lends ventilators to local hospitals for coronavirus patients

Alvin Community College has donated ventilators to four local hospitals in order to help treat patients with the coronavirus, according to a press release sent out by the college.

The hospitals receiving the 13 ventilators are Memorial Hermann Southeast, Memorial Hermann Pearland, HCA Houston Clear Lake and UTMB Angleton-Danbury Campus. Hospitals across the country are experiencing a shortage of ventilators and other equipment as they try to treat all of the patients coming in with COVID-19, according to the release.

“We deeply appreciate and respect the work that our clinical partners are doing every day to treat those infected with COVID-19,” ACC President Dr. Christal M. Albrecht said in a press release. “Lending the ventilators is just a small way that we can show our support to them. I wish there was more that we could do."

Kyle Price, the CEO of Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital and Memorial Hermann Pearland Hospital, said in the same press release that he and the hospitals are grateful to ACC for its support during this difficult time.

“While we continue to have a good supply of necessary resources to treat patients, opportunities to receive resources on loan, such as ventilators, helps us to stay prepared even in the event of a potential surge,” Price said.

ACC also lent a breathing simulator to the Johnson & Johnson Center for Device Innovation at the Texas Medical Center.

ACC Respiratory Care director Marby McKinney explained that the breathing simulator will be used by engineers to test a ventilator prototype they have developed to help relieve the shortage in the release.

“We value our relationship with our clinical partners, and our program is happy to let them use the ventilators and equipment during this unprecedented time,” McKinney said.