AdventHealth to 3-D print face shields for health care workers

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused shortages in personal protective equipment across the country.

The prototype lab at AdventHealth Nicholson Center in Celebration is looking to address those shortages directly with the use of 3-D printers. Jodi Fails, a product development engineer manager at the lab, turned to the devices to help create thousands of face shields for clinicians, according to a media release.

“It’s an honor to be able to assist our team members as they fight this pandemic,” Fails said. “We  may not be providing direct patient care, but through the lab we can help protect our colleagues on the front lines.”

Fails and her team have enlisted the help of academic and industry partners to assist with mass production of the equipment. Current production of the face shields is at 1,000 per week, with a preliminary goal of 20,000. The shields will be distributed to AdventHealth hospitals throughout Central Florida. If more production partners join the efforts, more shields can be produced and help more clinicians, the release states.

“We’re also looking at other supplies,” Fails said. “We’re working across care teams, with physicians and respiratory therapists, making lists of what could be a shortage and how we can find solutions for it.”