UC Riverside receives 15,000 surgical masks from Chinese-American philanthropist group

The UC Riverside School of Medicine received 15,000 ASTM level 2 surgical masks and 1,000 medical face shields from the Chinese Americans Donation Center, a nonprofit formed during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide protection to health care providers, first responders, and vulnerable groups in the community.

Representatives of the UCR School of Medicine receive boxes of surgical masks from the Chinese Americans Donation Center — UCR School of Medicine representatives from left, Dr. Don Larsen, CEO of UCR Health, Dr. Brigham, Willis, Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education, and Celia Scoggins, Director, Ambulatory Operations, pose with representatives from the Chinese Americans Donation Center on June 4, 2020. (UCR/Stan Lim)

“Like medical workers elsewhere in America, the UC Riverside School of Medicine has faced a shortage of personal protective equipment during the pandemic. This wonderful donation will allow many students to re-enter the clinical environment at sites that have been requesting it,” said Brigham Willis, Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education and a professor of pediatrics. “We will be able to continue progressing our students toward becoming physicians and continue to supply critical medical providers for our underserved community.”

ASTM International is an organization that tests masks and rates them on five performance standards. Level 2 masks offer protection from moderate levels of aerosols, sprays, and fluids and are suitable for a variety of medical tasks and procedures. Plastic face shields protect the wearer from larger amounts of spray and aerosols.

Adrian Stevens, a senior director of development at the UC Riverside School of Business who helped coordinate the donation, said the Chinese Americans Donation Center approached the School of Business wanting to help the Riverside community fight the novel coronavirus.

Representatives from the UCR School of Business receive a gift of surgical masks from the Chinese Americans Donation Center — UCR School of Business representatives Steve Chen, Director of International Relations, left, and Adrian Stevens, Sr. Director of Development, pose with representatives from the Chinese Americans Donations Center on June 4, 2020. (UCR/Stan Lim)

“We noticed that Riverside county was particularly hard hit by COVID-19, with over 8,000 confirmed cases,” said Steven Luo, the Chinese Americans Donation Center CEO. “With this donation of masks and face shields we are protecting UC Riverside’s frontline health care workers as they help the community recover faster from the disease.”

Over the past few months, the Chinese Americans Donation Center, based in the City of Industry, has delivered protective gowns, masks, medical gloves, and other protective equipment to more than 30 hospitals in the greater Los Angeles area, including two Riverside hospitals. The group has also sent personal protective equipment to medical staff in New Jersey, as well as to cities and elderly care centers in other areas of California.

“We are most grateful to the Chinese American Donation Center for their thoughtful contribution,” said UCR Health CEO and professor of radiology Donald Larsen.

“We strongly believe that this virus knows no race or borders. United we stand, and we will win the fight against the coronavirus,” said Luo.