Palomar officials donated unused supplies, such as hand sanitizer and surgical masks to local hospitals during the coronavirus outbreak.

Julie Van Houten, Chair of the Nursing Department, said that she received permission from Acting President Jack Kahn, to donate the supplies to two faculty members who are working in local hospitals during this time.

Tami Heaston and Charity Tang, both adjunct faculty members, accepted the donations from Palomar and distributed them to the hospitals where they worked.

Tang, who works at Kaiser and Temecula Valley Hospital, expressed gratitude to Palomar officials for the donations and for supporting frontline healthcare workers.

“Fellow colleagues were in tears,” Charity wrote in an email. “Receiving this PPE (personal protective equipment) was like receiving the lottery. Something as simple as a mask is worth gold.”

As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, Palomar College transitioned all classes to distance formats, causing the nursing program to postpone all in person classes and labs. As a result, Van Houten decided to provide local hospitals with supplies that would be left unused.

Van Houten donated hand sanitizer, surgical masks, and other supplies. The supplies were given to Heaston and Tang, who then distributed them at Tri-City, Kaiser and Temecula Valley Hospitals.

Tang shared that she is self-quarantining as a result of her working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and tending to patients with coronavirus.

“[I am] so thankful to Palomar for their support,” Tang wrote. “In my life as a student, and now in my life as faculty. It is so appreciated.”

Featured Image Courtesy of Julie Van Houten