Morrisville, N.C.-based crisis management firm IEM donated approximately $90,000 worth of medical supplies to Houston’s Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH), according to a Friday Cision PR Newswire report. Dr. Brent Kaziny, the pediatric hospital’s medical director of emergency management, received the items from Dr. Rashid Chotani, IEM health chief medical director, and Dr. Lori Van Wagenen, the firm’s deputy director.
"As health care professionals and providers, we have a responsibility to our hospital, our city, and our community to prepare for disasters and to respond to them as quickly and effectively as possible," Kaziny said in the report. "We are so grateful for IEM's generous donation, which will enhance our preparedness by providing us with the tools we need to train our staff and to educate first responders."
Cision PR Newswire reported that IEM gave TCH emergency medical kits, automated external defibrillators and a slew of medical supplies. Initially purchased to address the COVID-19 pandemic at its height, the hospital will use the items for first responder training, emergency response, preparation and planning.
"Equipping medical centers with the proper resources could provide a lifeline for the communities they serve," Chotani told Cision PR Newswire. “These items will be invaluable tools to be used in emergency situations, educate first responders, and ultimately to save lives.
“We hope the pediatric doctors, staff, patients, and their families benefit greatly from IEM's donation," he said.
According to the report, TCH and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) last fall announced plans to helm the Gulf 7 – Pediatric Disaster Network, a regional pediatric disaster network that provides crisis-related specialized care in Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Puerto Rico.
"Coordinating attainable medical care for children from an expansive network of experts in times of crisis aligns with IEM's mission," Chotani told Cision PR Newswire. "IEM Health is proud to have had the opportunity to deliver highly specialized and efficient, quality supplies that will help people of all ages, including the youngest survivors of disasters and emergencies."