Heinrich Touts New COVID-19 Emergency Supply Collaborative To Connect N.M. Medical Providers With Solutions

ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) lauded the creation of the New Mexico COVID-19 Emergency Supply Collaborative, an effort to provide New Mexico health care providers and medical professionals with the resources they need to address the COVID-19 crisis. The collaborative recently launched its website, which functions as a collection point for up-to-date information on resource supplies and demand, and a platform to connect medical professionals to the services they require. The website is: www.nmcovid19.org.

The New Mexico COVID-19 Emergency Supply Collaborative was developed to assess the current needs of local medical professionals and connects them to a number of resources across the state, such as manufacturers and suppliers of medical equipment, in order to mobilize real-time solutions that can assist with health care providers’ lack of critical resources. The collaborative, led by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), includes a diverse range of participants including Senator Heinrich and the entire federal delegation, the State of New Mexico, Sandia National Laboratories, several New Mexico universities, and local manufacturers. A full list of partners is available here.

“For New Mexico to be able to address the COVID-19 crisis head on, we must bring all of our resources to bear in a coordinated effort to address the public health challenges at hand. This includes getting our health care workers personal protective equipment and other resources they may need while they fight on the front lines of this pandemic,” said Heinrich. “I am proud to be a part of the New Mexico COVID-19 Emergency Supply Collaborative alongside the AFRL and other partners to help consolidate and coordinate our response efforts. I will continue fighting to secure the resources and equipment we need for an effective and lifesaving public health response.”

On Thursday, April 30, Senator Heinrich joined Gabe Mounce, Director of AFRL’s Space Accelerator Program, in delivering face shields to the Albuquerque VA Hospital. Senator Heinrich played a key role in working with the AFRL and the National Security Agency’s Laboratory for Physical Sciences to have the masks 3-D printed and made available for the hospital.

“Throughout this unprecedented public health crisis, my staff and I have been working around-the-clock to connect the dots and facilitate the delivery of critical supplies like personal protective equipment to health providers who need them most all across New Mexico. I am grateful to the Air Force Research Lab and the National Security Agency’s Laboratory for Physical Sciences for helping coordinate this donation of face shields to Albuquerque’s VA Hospital. I will keep doing everything in my power to secure the funding and resources our frontline health care workers and first responders need to continue their lifesaving work,” said Heinrich.

"A special thanks goes to all the Collaborative partners who are working behind the scenes to assist state and local efforts to address needs in the medical community related to this COVID pandemic. We are very glad to be supported by Senator Heinrich and the entire New Mexico congressional delegation in this effort," said Mounce.

Learn more about the New Mexico COVID-19 Emergency Supply Collaborative at www.nmcovid19.org.