Pandemic Reveals New Concerns About Facial Protection Products

Published in Healthcare Purchasing News
December 21, 2022

Jason BurnhamJason Burnham, Senior Director of Facial Protection at Owens & Minor, shared his insights in a Healthcare Purchasing News article unpacking learning lessons on mask and respirator use during the COVID-19 pandemic to inform future improvements for other potential outbreaks.

In the article, Burnham discussed the need to design and test children’s masks as parents and healthcare workers were uncertain on how to protect their children’s health during the pandemic. He also discussed how healthcare providers should start adhering to guidance around proper mask usage from health agencies and authorities and stray away from habits adopted during the pandemic. “Since the inception of the pandemic, staff are often re-wearing disposable face masks due to scarcity rather than disposing and donning a new mask between patients. This is a significant departure from the CDC’s Standard Precautions,” Burnham said.

In addition, he recommended that hospitals ensure they have the right facial protection for the task at hand to rebalance proper demand planning – noting that healthcare workers often wore the facial protection that was readily available during the pandemic, even if it did not match the protection needed in certain settings.

Burnham has over 25 years of experience in healthcare solutions including expertise in global healthcare product manufacturing, supply chain management, and design of products and technologies for various acute and non-acute healthcare points of care. Throughout his career, Burnham has steered supply of critical PPE, most recently during the COVID-19 pandemic where he worked closely with U.S. Government agencies as an industry liaison and led partnerships to expand the industrial base of critical healthcare supplies.

Additional Articles

The Right Face Mask for the Task

During the shifting headwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone became acutely aware of the need for respiratory protection and of…

Tripledemic – Are You Prepared for What’s Ahead?

The Rise of the Tripledemic In 2020 and 2021 the ‘twindemic,’ a combination of [...]

Being Ready for What Comes Through Your Facility’s Doors

Healthcare facilities continue to grapple with the unpredictable demand for masks and face shields, [...]

FDA Revokes Emergency Use Authorization for KN95 Masks

Official FDA Release June 30, 2021 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is [...]

What’s The Difference: Surgical Masks vs N95 Respirators

Surgical Mask N95 Respirator Approval and Regulations Cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug [...]

The Holiday Stresses of Working in a Hospital

Working in a hospital during the holidays adds another layer of stress. These tips for coping can help alleviate the…

Face the Facts: What You Need To Know About Medical Face Masks In Healthcare Settings

Q&A with Kathleen StoesselRN, BSN, MS, Senior Manager, Clinical Education & Accreditation, Halyard HealthWhy [...]

Is Your Surgical Gown Protecting You? What You Don’t Know May Hurt You

Introduction During invasive procedures, patients as well as the healthcare team are at risk [...]

Choosing the Right Face Mask: 3 Things to Know

3 things to consider when selecting facial protection in the healthcare setting 1. There [...]

Is it OK to recycle Halyard N95 Masks?

Halyard Responds HALYARD* N95 respirators are labelled as single use. The respirators are designed [...]

Don’t Slip Up: Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls to Keep Patients and Hospital Staff Safer

Slips, trips and falls (STFs) can happen anywhere, and hospitals are no exception. Whether [...]

Keeping an Eye Out: Protecting the Eyes of Healthcare Staff

The eyes are a gateway for infection to enter the body. So it is [...]

Is Your Surgical Mask Protecting You? What You Don’t Know May Hurt You

Introduction Are you confident that the surgical mask available for your use provides appropriate [...]

Protecting Yourself From MERS

5 Things Healthcare Professionals Need to Do Now In 2014 healthcare professionals found themselves [...]