Owens & Minor donates PPE to Ukraine

Mechanicsville-based Fortune 500 health care logistics company  Owens & Minor announced Monday that it is donating $500,000 in medical-grade personal protective equipment to support humanitarian relief in Ukraine and other impacted countries.

The donations, which includes exam gloves, masks and gowns, was coordinated across distribution centers in Chicago, Pittsburg and Philadelphia to speed efforts. The goods equaled about two full truckloads of products.

“Owens & Minor is proud to support the hard work of health care providers in and around Ukraine who are working in extraordinary and tragic circumstances to provide patient care,” said Jeff Jochims, executive vice president, chief operating officer and president of products and healthcare services for the firm, in a statement. “This is just one more example of how the drive and passion of our teammates helps us deliver on our unyielding commitment to support health care whenever and wherever it’s needed most.”

The donation was made through humanitarian aid organization MedShare, which sources and delivers medical supplies and equipment to communities in need.

“MedShare is focused on providing immediate relief and support to the Ukrainian people in response to the international health crisis unfolding before our eyes. Our longstanding partnership with Owens & Minor allows us to act fast and meet these critical needs in Ukraine and surrounding areas,” said MedShare CEO and President Charles Redding. “We’re grateful for Owens & Minor’s generous support as we work to help Ukraine in this rapidly shifting crisis.”

Owens & Minor was founded in 1882 and has distribution, production, customer service and sales facilities in the Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. It employs more than 17,000 people and sells medical supplies to customers in 90 countries.