Local ER Physician Raises $25k in One Week to Protect Fellow Healthcare Professionals
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CHICAGO - illiNews -- On the morning of March 23^rd, Emergency Room Physician Scott Samlan and his wife Melissa started a grassroots GoFundMe campaign to raise money for healthcare providers on the front line.

Due to government officials being unforgivably slow to provide protective equipment in a timely manner, they decided to take matters into their own hands. A large construction vendor agreed to sell 200 NIOSH, LPR-100 masks to the Dr. Samlan and because the CDC has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for filtering face piece respirators, he figured it would be a great opportunity to purchase and donate.

Dr. Samlan began by purchasing and donating masks then continued efforts by launching the GoFundMe campaign to purchase and donate additional supplies, such as gloves, gowns, face shields, and any other protective equipment he could find. Within one day, the campaign shattered its initial goal of $5,000 and currently sits at just short of $25,000 total. The purchases from the campaign's proceeds will be dispersed amongst Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana hospitals.

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"The time to act is now," said Dr. Samlan. "If we don't protect our healthcare workers, then there will be no one left to care for us when ourselves or our loved ones are in need of medical attention." He went on to add that working in the ER, he can assure the public that healthcare professionals are in dire need of personal protective equipment(PPE). "Asking a medical provider to work in just a surgical mask and goggles is akin to asking a modern-day soldier to fight with a bow and arrow – we are in need of more," said Dr. Samlan.

"I've heard way too many stories of Scott's colleagues testing positive for COVID-19 because they were exposed without proper protection," said his wife Melissa. A firm believer that our healthcare professionals carry the greatest risk of exposure, she says that one of her greatest fears is that Scott tests positive himself. "We must rally behind those that are committed to putting this pandemic behind us," added Melissa.

For more information or to support the Samlan's campaign, please visit: https://bit.ly/Samlansupport