March 19, 2020

Dear Committee Chairs and Members of Congress:
We write to you as representatives of over 700,000 concerned healthcare providers, many of
whom are also mothers and fathers. We have been on the front lines of responding to the
COVID-19 crisis. We have already worked countless hours with little to no personal protective
equipment (“PPE”), and we are treating patients without a confirmed diagnosis, and without
knowing whether they have been exposed while in our care. We are then returning to our own
homes, often without being able to test ourselves for this pathogen, possibly spreading a
potentially fatal virus to our family members and other patients we treat. To prevent infecting
ourselves, our patients, and our families, we respectfully request that you take immediate action,
including making changes to the Strategic National Stockpile (“SNS”) as authorized under 42
USC 247d-6b, to ensure that healthcare providers in positions of likely exposure receive
sufficient protective gear as quickly as possible in order to avert further disaster.
We have two immediate requests:
First, we request that the SNS be required to keep unexpired PPE ready and
available in order to be deployed as a protective measure during an emergency
health threat such as COVID-19.​ This will require the SNS to immediately purchase
unexpired PPE so that the necessary equipment can be distributed to front line workers.
Currently, the SNS is not required to keep all products up-to-date. Expired PPE is often
ineffective and can be tantamount to using no PPE at all. Using expired PPE puts providers and
patients at serious risk of infection; potentially spreading, not containing, the virus. We ask you
to address this issue through emergency legislation, so that the administrators of the SNS
immediately take remedial action and replenish supplies with safe and effective materials. This
will help protect not only healthcare workers, but also their patients and families.
Second, we request that amendment of 42 USC 247d-6b to ensure that, during an
emergency health threat, contents of the SNS be replenished before retail access to
those items is allowed. ​When contents of the SNS are depleted, we must ensure the
distribution of newly manufactured products to those who need them most—primarily
healthcare workers—rather than diverted to retail stores. Under current policies, members of the
public were able to purchase large quantities of N95 masks for private use (or worse, for resale),
leaving nursing home staff, hospital and clinic medical staff, and emergency room doctors
without PPE—the safety equipment they so desperately need to render effective critical care
during this COVID-19 crisis or any public health crisis. Please act quickly to provide legislative
authority for emergency orders diverting newly manufactured PPE directly to healthcare
providers, first responders, and essential workers before releasing the safety gear into the open
market.

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 Letter from Concerned U.S. Healthcare Providers

In light of the challenges we have seen with the release of PPE from the SNS, we have one
additional long term request. We believe the​ GAO should investigate and provide
recommendations regarding the distribution of goods in the SNS to ensure they
are distributed as efficiently as possible, and if not, to suggest new procedures for
doing so.​ Currently, distribution of equipment and medications in the SNS requires requests
from the state, local, or territorial authorities. While the current protocol may help with the
strategic deployment of critical resources, it also may create delays that could cause significant
harm to the health and welfare of the general public.
Healthcare workers around the country continue to risk exposure—some requiring quarantine
and others falling ill. With emergency rooms and hospitals running at and even over capacity,
and as the crisis expands, so does the risk to our healthcare workers. And with a shortage of
PPE, that risk is even greater. In an effort to help you understand the real-life struggle our brave
healthcare workers are facing, we have asked them to share their stories with you—in their own
words. To protect them from possible retaliation by their employers, we have excluded their
names.
We ask that you consider our requests and act quickly to ensure that our healthcare providers
are being sent out to the front lines with the tools they need to perform their jobs safely.
Thank you for your public service and dedication to our country during these trying times.
We ask that you direct all questions or comments to our group representatives:

Hala Sabry DO, MBA
Emergency Medicine Physician
Physician Community Organizer
Hala_Sabry@yahoo.com

Rebecca Love MSN, RN, FIEL
President SONSIEL
rebeclove@hotmail.com

Janie Harvey Garner, RN
Nurse Community Leader
Janie.garner@gmail.com.
Sincerely,

Concerned United States Healthcare Providers

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 Letter from Concerned U.S. Healthcare Providers

PERSONAL STATEMENTS FROM PHYSICIAN MOMS
The following statements are from physician moms across the country who are fighting on the
front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The statements have been anonymized upon request.
I’m under quarantine after exposure to a positive COVID-19 case. I’m still waiting on test
results. My 9-year-old twins want to know when they can hug mama again.
Austin, TX
My seven-year-old said to me: “Mommy- I’m so scared you’re gonna get the Coronavirus at the
hospital. If you get the Coronavirus at work, I wanna get it too so I can still snuggle with you. So
if you get it, can you make sure you give it to me too? Because I just can’t be without you.”
Houston, TX
I’m reusing single-use disposable PPE. Only using surgical masks because that’s what we have
more of, although I fear we will run out of those as well. We’re reusing those masks for our
entire shift. I have a constant fear of getting sick, dying, leaving my boys to be orphans. I signed
up to help others. Not hurt myself.
Charleston SC
We have no N95 masks, have minimal gowns or masks with shields. We have no tests for
outpatients and I was told not to test unless I’m in a negative pressure room (which we don’t
have). I have seen multiple upper respiratory infection cases and a few that should have been
tested. I woke up yesterday morning with worsening myalgias, shortness of breath, cough,
fatigue and sore throat. Flu/strep neg so now instead of helping people at work, I’m helping by
staying quarantined until my covid test comes back. I’ve exposed my husband, one-year old, and
four-year old already.
Live in NW KY, practice in SW OH
My two urgent care clinics have a total of 25 N95 masks for both clinics. There is no right answer
for who needs them and who doesn’t. We are virtually unprotected against the potential COVID
patients in our lobby full of upper respiratory infection patients.
Apple Valley/Victorville, CA
My urgent care clinic has 10 N95 masks, no gowns and created a makeshift face shield from eye
protectors from Lowe’s. Everything we ordered is on back-order until July.
Conroe, TX
Our clinic has a grand total of six N95 masks for 11 employees. So we, on the frontlines, are
exposed. And I will likely be taking it home to my family (2 kids), and elderly parents.
Tulsa, OK

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I’m an anesthesiologist and I’m terrified of being infected, exposing my family, and endangering
my patients. We, like many across the country, are being told to not wear PPE due to the
shortage despite community transmission. Everyone I come into contact with is a potential
carrier. I fear we are making it worse. A sick colleague was told to come to work, told testing was
not available, and told PPE was not necessary. All N95s have been locked up. Some are
purchasing their own and wearing them under regular masks to hide this. This is not ok. We fear
for our lives and those of our patients.
IN
I work for the National Association of Community Health Centers. Some of my health centers
are trying to decide if they will ask staff to work without protection or close their doors.
Washington, DC
I was stopped by one of the managers and ordered to take off my mask. She said it’s only for
patients with documented flu. I was told that masks are in shortage and are ordered per patient
only for those who have positive airborne infection. I had only one mask on for the whole entire
day. I came home to my kids actually wearing a mask while cooking as I was scared to pass on
the infection to them.
Augusta, GA
Our pediatrician, a fellow colleague, has no masks available to her. She sees 250 pediatric
patients per week. She has no mask and worries about being exposed to flu, COVID19, and other
pathogens. I called dental offices, construction workers, and finally located masks at our church.
Our priest had some for duct cleaning and she is using those which will last one week. What will
she do next week? How can we ask healthcare providers to see folks with a fever and cough with
no mask and expect them not to fall ill?
Syracuse, NY
My husband is an Ophthalmologist and was instructed not to use ANY masks to examine
patients less than 12 inches from his face on slit lamps because there aren’t enough for all staff.
They literally have no masks in their clinic and forbid him from wearing one because it would
incite panic.
Chapel Hill, NC
I had a suspected COVID19 patient. I could not find any masks with eyeshield or eye protection
for taking the swab. My patient’s results are pending.
Glasgow, KY
My institution, the University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville, is now telling
physicians to use one mask per day per physician unless the mask is visibly soiled.
Jacksonville, FL

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We are reusing masks as much as possible; we don’t have any N95s. We were only able to get
150 regular masks/week max from our regular supplier; we are a seven-provider outpatient
pediatric practice, and this is not enough. Additionally, our local hospital and health department
will not test anyone for COVID19, telling us we need to be doing it.
Western, NC
We are taking stock of PPE supplies. Currently, we are planning to staff a respiratory unit
without full PPE because we don’t have enough. Many of our colleagues have purchased
industrial masks and respirators due to this shortage. My colleague who is a pediatric emergency
doctor is unable to access N95s even to test for COVID19; her hospital will not allow for PPE to
obtain the swabs, which is an aerosol-producing procedure. She is only allowed N95 for known
positive cases.
Northern, KY
I’m a family medicine doctor in a large health system. We have very limited N95 available and
they’re locked away. We have few to zero gowns. We have some surgical masks and very few
masks with shields.
Detroit, MI
I’m an emergency medicine doctor who is running out of PPE very quickly! We have to reuse the
same mask for the duration of this illness. Our hospital is not willing to launder our scrubs or let
us have access to operating room scrubs (despite all elective cases being cancelled). We are
working in a tent in our parking lot without heat - snow is coming tomorrow. We are days
behind in testing due to lack of kits and testing sites. My coworkers and I feel set up for failure
without adequate PPE. We can get by reusing the same mask every day, but that means we
might give the virus to the next patient because we’re covered in it.
Colorado Springs, CO​ (UC Health Memorial Hospital)
We get one regular mask and one N95 per day (unless soiled). We are using pediatric masks
since we have limited supply of adult masks (we are wearing masks at all times in patient care
areas). We are reusing our gowns for multiple staff members (one patient). I have been using my
same goggles for the last several shifts and caviwipe them before coming home. Several people
are bringing in their own eye protection from hardware stores.
Fort Collins, CO
I went to Home Depot yesterday and bought every N95 mask they had. They just received a
shipment of about 200 masks. My husband is a doctor and administrator at one of our local
hospitals and asked me to buy any mask I found for the hospital. Home Depot let me buy all the
masks after they found out they were for the hospital staff. I drove them to the hospital and my
husband took them inside to store and distribute to our hospital staff. Why, why, why, should we
have to resort to this? I was extremely lucky to have been the first person along to see the
shipment and get these masks for our doctors and nurses before they were gone.
Paducah, KY
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I’m a hospitalist being told to use regular masks for patient care, even COVID19 positive or
COVID19 presumptive positive, unless I’m doing a high risk aerosolized procedure - then I’m to
use an N95. We don’t have enough of either. Also, my hospital has run out of the only N95 mask
that fits my face. I am now being told that I may not be able to come back to work until they are
able to get some more. I have purchased my own P100 respirator with reusable filters just so
that I may be able to return to work and help.
Austin, TX
I’m in primary care pediatrics. We have no gowns. We are using the same mask all day. I have
ONE N95 mask that I saved from when I got fit tested. We have a few test swabs, but don’t have
the PPE to safely collect them. Seeing pictures of international doctors dressed up in full body
suits, while we watch our supply of regular surgical masks dwindle is very disheartening. Never
mind the fact that we have no access to testing so feel like we really have no idea who may be
carrying the virus!
Atlanta, GA
I am in a small community hospital and had a fellow physician who was made fun of by a staff
supervisor for asking for a powered air purifying respirator (“PAPR”). My colleagues at our
larger hospital have serious issues accessing PPE. The nursing staff is denied access to any
masks because we may run out; they are being told to see possible COVID cases with gloves only.
They tested a patient in the ER and sent the patient to the floor without a mask on.
Melbourne Beach, FL
Our hospital is running desperately short on PPE including N95s. I do high risk procedures
(aerosol generating) and don't know what I will do if I have a patient with a life threatening GI
bleed but we don't have enough N95s to do the procedure safely. I’m worried about my own
health and worried about my family.
Chicago, IL
I’m in a large private practice pulmonology group that does extracorporeal membrane
oxygenation (“ECMO”). Our outpatient office is out of N95s and so we have not done any tests.
And in the five hospitals we cover, we have several confirmed cases of covid19. We are reusing
N95s, placing them in paper bags and taping them to the doors.
KY
I live in a rural mountain community, we have only two ICU beds for three counties. The four
other ski mountain counties in Colorado have travel restrictions and quarantine if you’ve been
there because the density of infection-to-population is so high. We are the last mountain resort
county without a case, but only three patients have been tested with results in our county. Our
hospital is not providing PPE to any clinic staff. We are seeing all our normal patients including
annual exams on elderly patients. There is a transplant recipient employee in our clinic who
asked for a mask and they refused to provide it. I stepped in and gave her one of the N95 masks I
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use for LEEP procedures. I feel guilty using masks myself because I don’t have enough for
everyone. I’ve asked to do Telehealthcare instead but I’ve been told they are starting with the
family practice clinics first.
Salida, CO
We were given THREE total PPE kits for our office of three physicians, one NP, and five staff to
share! We are expected to reuse what we were given for the ongoing future.
Irvine, CA
I am in a major academic center that is the main campus of one of NYC’s largest hospital
systems. We are being told to limit masks to one per person per day, unless soiled.
This doesn’t seem reasonable. I am a critical care doctor and my group is responsible for the
care of these patients once out of the ED, and consulting within the ED. I would be the one
intubating these patients. A lack of PPE is very real. At least two hospitals in our system have
completely run out of masks.
New York City, NY
Our Federally Qualified Health Center stopped testing for COVID because we did not have
enough PPE to protect staff.
San Diego, CA
I feel lucky that my urgent care has N95s and full Hazmat for the high risk, but with the patient
load that may come in, I am afraid we won't have enough. Even now, we are expected to reuse
the N95s. I just had two patients last Sunday so I reused the mask but with an overload I am not
sure if I will be comfortable with the reuse. We have to sign off on each N95 we use. We are
throwing the hazmat gown and gloves in biohazard. We are using surgical masks for those with
upper respiratory infection. I am using surgical masks and gloves routinely and changing the
mask every 3 hours.
Dallas, TX
In our general pediatrics office of eight physicians and at least double that amount of staff, we
have 10 gowns and 15 N95 masks. We do have some boxes of surgical masks but we are
rationing and reusing. We have no ability for consistent testing so trying to don at least surgical
mask, eyewear and gloves for all respiratory visits.
Salt Lake City, UT
I’m becoming panicky as I’m being asked to reuse surgical masks for multiple days in a row. I
just spent over a hundred and fifty dollars on amazon and etsy to try to purchase my own higher
level PPE because I feel I can't rely on my workplace to ensure I get it (or even to make
appropriate PPE an institutional policy). I'm carrying two respirator masks from a hardware
store that a neighbor collected as a donation for me because they were worried about me on the
front lines.
Providence/Newport, RI
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We are unable to get PPE for our private practice - all orders on backorder for weeks. In our
large group practice, most patients canceled except true emergencies. They are now seeing docs
who have no protection.
NJ
We're so short on PPE, I just bought 100 safety glasses myself from a local construction supply
company to distribute to doctors and nurses in the hospital.
San Leandro, CA
I’m in private practice. We each have one N95 mask a piece. We are on our last 10 and gowns
can’t find any available to order anywhere.
Columbus, OH
My anesthesiologists are being given one N95 per day and told not to take it off or touch it the
entire shift. Already one of the anesthesiologists is exhibiting symptoms and now quarantined
with COVID results pending.
Temecula, CA
I’m a private practice primary care provider who sees mostly pediatrics and obstetrics. I’m still
seeing sick patients everyday using lab worker suits we borrowed from a micro lab and
construction worker masks from a hardware store because our suppliers can’t get us anything
medical grade for weeks. We will stay open until we use our last mask; we do about ten
nasopharyngeal swabs daily and absolutely need protection
Youngstown, OH
My nursing facility is unable to get gowns, so we’re trying to figure out how to disinfect
disposable gowns. I have one N95 for me. I see all of the coughing patients and spare the nurse
practitioner. Other nursing facilities are also reaching out for masks and gowns. Some providers
are not going into the facility due to this shortage of PPE. It is affecting patient care.
Renton, WA
I manage two pediatric urgent care clinics. We don't have enough gowns to wear them with all
potential positives, so we save them in case a swab needs to be done. Once we run out, parents
will have to self-swab for strep, flu, and/or COVID.
MD
In my outpatient pediatric clinic, I am assuming that every kid I see could be carrying the virus.
Every kid coughs in my face when I look at their throat . I will be out of surgical masks tomorrow
and am very low on gloves and wipes. I woke up today with a sore throat. I’m worried for myself,
my patients, and my family.
Denver, CO

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We have regular masks but low on N95 masks. All PPEs orders have to be approved by the
hospital central committee. Goggles are recommended as part of PPE but we only have 2 goggles
for the entire geriatric clinic, where ALL of our patients are >60 yo and have "underlying
comorbidities". I've resorted to my personal facebook to ask friends and family to donate any
PPEs that they've been hoarding.
Winston-Salem NC.
We are told that we will likely run out of masks in one week at my hospital. I am a hospitalist
with asthma and I’m being told to see patients from the door if possible when we don’t have
masks.
Denver, CO
My obstetrics practice has been told we have no current option for resupply of N95 masks. We
are trying to figure out best practices for re-use without contaminating the whole mask. I just
bought some furnace filters on amazon after reading some DIY mask posts. This does not feel
like we are leading the free world.
Louisville, KY
I work at a Federally Qualified Health Center. We can’t do COVID testing because we don’t have
enough PPE to protect staff. Only admitted patients get testing.
Longmont, CO
We each have one N-95 mask to use for respiratory cases in my pediatrics practice. There are no
other orders coming in soon due to demand elsewhere. We are right outside of Denver which is a
hotspot. I am scared, to say the least.
Denver, CO
I have no adequate PPE. Every child I saw on Monday morning had fever & cough. I woke up
this morning with a sore throat, headache, achy feeling and probable fever. I have self
quarantined for 14 days and am setting up telehealth to do my best to work from home to be
available for my patients. If I’m positive, it means I exposed patients I saw yesterday, my staff,
my husband, and my two kids. I started out high risk - I’m a pediatrician with rheumatoid
arthritis immunocompromised due to my medications. I had no proper PPE and now I’m sick.
This is unacceptable. Please help protect us physicians. We work hard to do best & what’s right
for our patients. We need supplies and support. Please help keep us safe
Twin Cities, MN
I’m in Outpatient Internal Medicine, and we do not have any N95 masks. I now have an N95
mask my son ordered for me from Amazon. A patient told me, during a routine physical, that
she just returned from Belize nine days ago and thought she may have a scratchy throat. Today
another patient who thought she had a UTI told me she returned from Reno 10 days ago; she is a
smoker whose chronic cough is worse lately. Both times, I had potential exposures. My heart is
still pounding. My staff has surgical masks on my insistence, I am very worried for my staff now
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we know that it is airborne. I am ready to quit if they tell me I cannot wear the mask or have to
tell my staff to take theirs off. So sad.....
St. Louis, MO
I work in an Emergency Room and we are told we have about 10 total N95 masks for the entire
department in a mix of sizes. We have a limited number of face shields. I’ve essentially limited
myself to work and home; my whole family is quarantined at home as I don’t know if I am a
carrier or not.
Harnett County, NC

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