Collaboration addresses protective gear shortages

 

San Jacinto College 3D printing brackets for face shields

PASADENA, Texas — San Jacinto College, Houston Community College, University of Houston at Sugar Land, Fort Bend County Judge's Office, TX/RX Labs, Alief ISD, and Houston ISD have joined efforts to help address personal PPE shortages for local area medical professionals and first responders in the fight against COVID-19.

The collaborative effort known as H-Force will be a comprehensive community partnership platform bringing together members' resources, technologies, and expertise to address the Houston area's growing needs amid this global crisis.

"We are pleased to collaborate with our partners in education and the workforce to provide much-needed protective equipment for our frontline health care workers who are working hard for our community every day," said San Jacinto College Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer. "We know that the health and safety of our health care workers, and that of our community, is critical now more than ever. We are all willing to do our part to help thorough this H-Force initiative."

In addition to this collaboration, San Jacinto College is printing an additional 500 face shield brackets for CHI St. Luke's Health Patients Medical Center in Pasadena and its affiliate in Sugar Land.

H-Force members are already supporting a number of initiatives across the city, including the project initiated by TX/RX Labs to use 3D printers to produce face shields to assist health care workers at Memorial Hermann Health System, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Baylor College of Medicine.

• Houston Community College received an approved waiver from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo to use its high-capacity 3D printing labs to produce face shield components. Production is currently underway. In support of this exciting effort, the HCC Foundation has provided a lead grant of $30,000 to HCC.
• San Jacinto College, Houston ISD, and Alief ISD have also joined the effort, using their respective organizations' 3D printers to provide additional face shield components.
• Fort Bend County and University of Houston at Sugar Land have brought other county stakeholders together to inventory the equipment, products, and personnel they can provide to support the effort. In just a few short days, they already secured a donation of 5,000 face shields from Sean Mehta, Luminess CEO and founder.

All of those in the community who can assist with 3D printing are encouraged to do so, and H-Force also needs filament and 3D printing material supplies for those who can make donations. The collaborative is establishing drop-off locations throughout the city to ensure community members have easy access to places receiving donations, while also maintaining the social distancing requirements in place throughout the Houston area.

This information provided by H-Force and its collaborators (including printing specs, instructions, and donation options), in addition other initiatives H-Force will support, is available on a newly launched website www.thehforce.org. The website will be a resource that continues to evolve as new projects and initiatives are identified to help increase PPE supplies across the city, county, and state. Individuals and local businesses can also support the effort by making a financial or material donation.

San Jacinto College is currently in an altered operations period during the COVID-19 situation. Additional information is available on the College website at sanjac.edu/coronavirus.

 

About San Jacinto College

Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the citizens of East Harris County, Texas, since 1961. San Jacinto College is among the top 10 community colleges in the nation as designated by the Aspen Institute for Community College Excellence, and was named an Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020. The College serves approximately 45,000 credit and non-credit students annually, and offers more than 200 degrees and certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. San Jacinto College's impact on the region totals $1.3 billion in added income, which supports 13,044 jobs. The College is fiscally sound, holding bond ratings of AA and Aa2 by Standard & Poor's and Moody's.

For more information about San Jacinto College call 281-998-6150, visit sanjac.edu or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.