Company formed by doctor and UW grad helps supply PPE across the state

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - In the global vaccination push, some doctors fear a supply shortage among syringes and needles, but one group says it is prepared to help tackle that.

ActionPPE helps independent doctors nationwide purchase the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need. It was formed early in the COVID-19 pandemic by Dr. Marcelo Hochman, the president of the Charleston County Medical Society in South Carolina, and University of Wisconsin-Madison alum James Eron.

Dr. Hochman said small practices like his could not get their hands on enough PPE, such as N95 masks.

“My order itself couldn’t place enough interest, but if I placed my order with thousands of other doctors, it would get noticed,” he said.

The Wisconsin Medical Society has partnered with the company since April to help roughly 126 healthcare facilities across the state get the right equipment.

“If we get sick, we can be unable to work and provide that care for patients that we need to do. It was very scary, particularly at the beginning of the pandemic. We were concerned that the supply that we had might not be adequate,” said the Wisconsin Medical Society president-elect Dr. Alicia Arnold.

If there is a shortage of syringes and needles as the vaccine is more widely distributed, Dr. Arnold said the Wisconsin Medical Society would like to continue working with ActionPPE to make those products available.

Representatives with ActionPPE said to date, the partnership with the Wisconsin Medical Society has resulted in the distribution of over 104,000 units of PPE to physicians in 52 Wisconsin cities.

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