Ford Motor Co. making face shields to protect Sacramento hospital workers
Sacramento hospitals will be among the first to receive shipments of new face shields manufactured by workers at Ford Motor Co.
Ford plans to ship the face shields to hospitals around the country. The auto giant is also working with 3M and General Electric Healthcare to make ventilators desperately needed to treat Covid-19 patients.
Four thousand of the face shields are now enroute to Sacramento area hospitals, including 3,000 for UC Davis, 500 to Dignity and 500 for Sutter.
Ford’s design team created the full-face shields for medical workers and first responders. The face shields fully block the face and eyes from accidental contact with liquids. When paired with N95 respirators, the shields can be a more effective way to limit potential exposure to coronavirus than N95 respirators alone, according to the company.
“Making face shields with our UAW partners and being able to contribute them is an honor for us at Ford.,” said Adrian Price, the company’s director of Global Core Engineering.
It’s the second time in the past two weeks that Ford has stepped up in a significant way to help Sacramento during the coronavirus pandemic. The Ford Motor Co. Fund was among the first contributors to the DonateforSacramento Covid-19 fund, with a pledge of $100,000.
Donate4Sacramento this week disbursed its first contributions to community partners who will offer direct assistance to businesses, nonprofits and individuals.
Ford’s investment in Sacramento began in 2015 when it launched Operation Better World in Northern California. The company has since contributed nearly $5 million in Sacramento, the Central Valley and the Bay Area to pay for education, driver safety and other community programs, including a $50,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club in Sacramento.
Ford is currently redirecting about $1 million to local organizations around the country to address needs related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
