UHS Chenango Memorial's Fred Thomas and Dawn Chrisbacher help unload supplies donated by Norwich Pharmaceuticals to help prepare the Norwich hospital for a rise in COVID-19 patients. (Submitted photo)

NORWICH – A recent weekday morning found UHS Chenango Memorial staff unloading box after box from a van at the hospital’s loading dock. The non-descript packages contained what has become a valuable commodity: personal protective equipment destined to be worn by healthcare professionals working on the front lines as lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 rise in Chenango County.

“These are items we absolutely need,” said UHS Chenango Memorial’s supply chain manager, Hans Franklin, who supervised the process.

This particular delivery - which contained gloves, boot covers and other items already in short supply –

was a departure from the norm. It came not from one of the hospital’s regular suppliers, but from Norwich Pharmaceuticals.

“Norwich Pharmaceuticals is proud to be able to make this small contribution in support of the mission of our hospital,” said Ric Festarini, HR Director at Norwich Pharmaceuticals, An Alvogen Company.

“We believe that Chenango Memorial Hospital is critical to the wellbeing of our community. This has never been more evident, as we face the challenges posed by COVID-19.”  

According to Franklin, the pharmaceutical manufacturer is one of a number of area businesses and organizations that have rallied to ensure the hospital’s clinical care team has the supplies they need during this challenging time.

“We’ve also received supplies from DCMO BOCES, GE Unison, A & J Auto, Raymond, Yacano’s, Bartle’s Pharmacy and the Chenango Bureau of Fire,” he said, adding that additional organizations are reaching out daily.

“It’s a great help to us. We’re very grateful for the support.”

According to Franklin, the message the donations send is as important as the supplies themselves.

“This is a community that takes care of each other, and that’s what we’re seeing here,” he said. “We are in this together, and will get through it together.”

Anyone with items they wish to donate can contact Franklin at hans.franklin@nyuhs.org.

For more information on COVID-19, visit www.nyuhs.org.

UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital is a member of United Health Services, a locally owned not-for-profit 916-bed hospital and health care system serving the Greater Binghamton region from more than 40 locations around New York’s Southern Tier.