GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Board-certified dentist, Dr. Kathi Wilson, at the Center for Sleep Apnea and TMJ in Cascade, announced Monday that she is partnering with local healthcare systems, including Spectrum Health, to recover CPAP machines. A CPAP machine drive will be held April 22-23.
In partnership with Hunter Engineering Company, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, motors from the CPAP machines will be retrofitted into portable air purifying respirators (PAPRs) to keep healthcare workers safe from COVID-19.
Healthcare workers wear the PAPRs, which filter air before breathing, to eliminate concerns about inhaling any COVID-19 contaminated air.
The units are in the final stages of emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.
PAPRs allow healthcare workers to offset the need for the N95 masks.
“Our partnership with Dr. Wilson puts us in a unique position to come together as a community to aid our front line workers,” said Dr. Kelly Waters, sleep and neurology physician at Spectrum Health. “However, we want to stress that patients only donate their CPAP machines if they’re currently not using them as directed by their physician.”
West Michigan residents can drop off old or unused CPAP machines on April 22-23 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. each day at 4820 Cascade Road SE. To ensure the safety and well-being of all participants, contact-free drop off is available. To ensure safety, residents should check to see if the old or unused CPAP device qualifies for repurposing. Questions regarding qualifying CPAP machines can be directed to sleeptmjcenter@gmail.com.
Place the CPAP device in a box/bag, then place it in the trunk of your vehicle. An employee will help you once you arrive, picking up the device out of your trunk and replacing it with a goodie bag filled with restaurant coupons and other surprises.
