President Donald Trump announced today a national ventilator sharing program that aims to allow hospitals to lend the lifesaving devices to others facing acute coronavirus outbreaks.
The goal of the program, developed in partnership with the American Hospital Association, is to utilize unused ventilators by sending them to hospitals in hot spots, according to Adam Boehler, a former HHS official who has been tapped to help with the coronavirus response.
“There are over 60,000 ventilators in our hospitals right now that are not in use,” said Boehler, who is now CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. More than 20 health systems, including the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, have signed up to participate in the program so far, he added, with a collective 4,000 ventilators.
The voluntary effort led by hospitals will use an online inventory of ventilators and associated parts like tubing and filters.
“Hospitals and health systems will input into the database available equipment that they are able to lend to others in the country,” AHA said in a press release. “Providers are then able to access this virtual inventory as their need for ventilators increases.”
The Trump administration last week announced it had signed contracts with Philips and General Motors under the Defense Production Act for tens of thousands of ventilators, but the majority will not be delivered for months. Health officials are also concerned about a shortage of drugs such as opioids that are critical for people on ventilators.