YSOM Alumni & Friends for Yale New Haven Hospital
Goal: Purchase, Ship, and Donate 20,000 coveralls
Healthcare workers on the front lines of the global COVID-19 pandemic are facing a critical shortage of PPE and at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) isolation gowns are the most dire.
A group of Yale School of Management alumni has been leveraging the supply chain and logistics braintrust of our community to source, vet, finance, and transport supplies across continents. Now, we ask for your help in urgently raising funds to procure protective clothing for our healthcare heroes. Contributions of any size will help!
This fundraiser is held in conjunction with the Yale Healthcare Club of China, who is leading the Greater China region outreach.
We will be updating this page regularly with progress reports as well as answers to FAQs.
Thank you, stay healthy, call your loved ones, and be safe!
“All in-house and ICU COVID patients at Yale New Haven Hospital are currently managed exclusively by Internal Medicine residents and intubation are performed by Anesthesia residents. It is important to ensure that these front-line physicians and the corresponding nurses and respiratory technicians be protected in a time when we need them the most.”
- Dr. Terence Rafferty,
Professor Emeritus at Yale University School of Medicine
Former Chief of Cardiac Anesthesia at Yale New Haven Hospital
Father of Colm Rafferty SOM ‘04
>>>>>>>>>> Secured Supply #1 - Updated April 9, 2020:
We have secured 5,000 pieces of Tyvek® material disposable protective clothing at the cost of CNY¥110 or ~US$16 each. Freight costs are estimated to be CNY¥67,000 or ~US$9,900, a discounted DHL rate provided by a fellow SOM alumnus. Total Cost: ~US$90,000
WHO IS OUR SUPPLIER?
To our knowledge, the Shanghai C&G Safety Co., Ltd. (上海诚格安全防护用品有限公司) specializes in designing and manufacturing industrial safety products. As we were informed, the Company was repatriated by the Shanghai government during the initial outbreak to manufacture medical grade protective coverings which were distributed to Wuhan health care workers, and airports and hospitals in Shanghai. As we know, C&G is one of two suppliers of protective clothing to the Municipality of Shanghai during COVID-19 and currently supplies the US Red Cross.
Video below features Chinese language news coverage of C&G's shift to manufacturing medical grade coveralls for the Shanghai government:
ABOUT THE RELIABILITY OF THE PRODUCTS?
We have liaised with Yale School of Medicine throughout this process and shipped them samples of C&G's protective clothing for verification and testing. Representatives from the Medical School and YNHH confirmed the quality and usability of the products via email on April 5th. However, please note that the products are NOT FDA approved or registered.
As we have advised potential donees, the organizer (we and our affiliates) has no responsibility or liability for the design or manufacture of the Products and has no duty to warn with respect to the Products (all component parts, labor and materials included in the Products, as well as the final Products). Given that we are coordinating charity efforts, to mitigate legal risk, the Products are provided “AS IS” and without representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied. As mentioned below, you as donor will receive from donees a “Release, Waiver of Liability, Defense, Indemnification and Hold Harmless Agreement”, which expressly disclaims all warranties.
WHY CAN’T YNHH OR YALE MEDICAL SCHOOL PURCHASE DIRECTLY?
1. C&G's products are manufactured for industrial use and thus have only obtained related certifications. This restricts YNHH from purchasing directly from the manufacturer. However, Yale School of Medicine would be able to accept the protective clothing as a donation. We have engaged lawyers (who work on a pro bono basis) to draft a liability waiver to protect the donor party as well.
2. Supply of this and similar products will become increasingly scarce due to a global shortage of DuPont™ Tyvek® material since the start of COVID-19. Availability of stock is time sensitive and the supplier has kindly agreed to set aside 5,000 pieces while we raise funds as a courtesy and out of respect for Yale University's sterling reputation in China.
3. Representatives from YNHH and Yale School of Medicine reiterated on the morning of April 9th and April 10th, respectively, that the gown shortage is urgent. A grassroots efforts will likely move faster than traditional hospital supply chains. Tyvek® coveralls are also safer and more durable than isolation gowns, which YNHH uses at a rate of ~5,000 per a day. 
--- GENERAL FAQ ---
WHO ARE YOU?
Kevin Ye, SOM ‘04
Selina Zhang, SOM ‘04
Vivian Li, SOM ‘13
Shirley Yeung, SOM '93
Julie Zhao, SOM ‘14
Martha Xiang, SOM ‘19
Corine Pao, SOM ‘04
Julie Chen, SOM ‘10
Eric Zhou, SOM ‘20
Colm Rafferty '04
WHAT IS YALE UNIVERSITY'S INVOLVEMENT?
This campaign is organized by volunteers who are alumni of Yale School of Management and has no official affiliation with the University. Since March, Yale SOM Alumni in China have come together to tirelessly source, vet, and fund PPE donations - ~1000 N95 masks to New York City and ~7500 N95 masks, 11,750 surgical masks, and 3 pallets of surgical gloves to YNHH - in addition to introducing a vetted suppliers of 25,000 N95 masks directly to YNHH. The ad hoc efforts coalesced on WeChat, primarily championed by Julie Zhao, SOM '14. The Yale Club of Hong Kong has also 2000+ N95 masks and 1450 surgical masks to physicians in New York area hospitals. Our current supplier C&G was ultimately introduced through Shirley Yeung, SOM '93.
These efforts are well outlined in a recent Yale Alumni Voices article .
We thank all aforementioned parties for their contributions and invite you, Yale or not, SOM or other, to join us in this fight!
Photos below feature Yale SOM Alumni in China's N95 delivery to YNHH:
CAN I DONATE THROUGH A DIFFERENT PLATFORM?
China-based donors can contribute via WeChat: ‘zhaohuadan_julie’ or wire transfer to the following account set up exclusively for this campaign: 户名: 赵华丹，账号: 621788 0800017136963，开户行: 中国银行上海市豫园支行
CAN I OBTAIN A TAX RECEIPT FOR MY DONATION?
Unfortunately, no. We are a group of passionate volunteers and not affiliated with a 501c(3).