Jefferson Donates Used Equipment and Supplies to Developing Nations

Infant cribs were among the items that found their way to Jefferson's Excess Property Program. Today, the cribs are cradling babies in a pediatric AIDS clinic in Eastern Europe where children used to lie in cots in the hallways and 10 patients are crowded into one room.

"What's old to us is state-of-the-art for them," says Karen Oxler, RN, MSN, vice president for perioperative services, about the goods Jefferson has donated to Carelift International, an organization that collects used hospital equipment and supplies to transport to developing nations. "The University has been involved in this worthwhile program for two years and the Hospital is now participating."

Over the past two years, Jefferson's in-kind donations to Carelift have exceeded $258,000. The contributions have included everything from sutures and surgical instruments to an X-ray system, a surgical laser and an anesthesia machine. The donations have gone to Romania, Slovakia and Moldova, a newly formed independent state near the Ukrainian and Romanian borders, according to Erik Peltz, director of operations at Carelift. Particularly in Romania and Moldova, there is a desperate shortage of medical equipment and much of what they do have is decades old.

"Jefferson was the first medical center to implement this program systemwide and is one of our largest contributors," says Mr. Peltz, who notes that approximately 102 healthcare facilities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York City now participate in Carelift programs. As Jefferson increases its support to Carelift, he adds, plans are being made to showcase the University as a training site for other hospitals interested in participating. In time, Carelift hopes to expand its operation to tap hospitals around the country for contributions of medical surplus.

Carelift picks up all the equipment and pays for shipping charges abroad. Before the goods are transported, Carelift cleans, refurbishes and repaints the equipment as needed, and does any electrical conversion necessary for the recipient. Biomedical engineers are trained as well to install and service the technology. "Most of the equipment is our last generation, which is new for them," says Mr. Peltz. "The Minister of Health in Moldova was overwhelmed by the quality of what we provided."

Contributing to Carelift benefits Jefferson as well. Because of changes in the way we deliver health care, an abundance of "perfectly usable" hospital materials has accumulated, from packs and gowns, to an X-ray unit from the Ford Road campus, explains Richard C. Alberto, the Hospital's assistant director of support services and former chairman of the Environmental Resources Utilization Committee.

"This excess property is costly to get rid of and usually needs to be moved quickly," continues Bill Wardle, the University's assistant vice president for materiel management. "Donating these items to Carelift actually saves us money in waste costs. And physicians overseas are thrilled to get these items."

Ed Barr, manager of support services at the Hospital, calls the effort, "a natural outgrowth of our recycling program." Over the last few months alone, he says, Jefferson has collected 214 pounds of medical and surgical supplies awaiting pick-up by Carelift.

For more information about making a donation to Carelift International, call the office of materiel management at 3-6244.