AAFP, Project N95 and Councilwoman Robinson Partner to Distribute 40,000 Masks
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 28, 2022
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — February 28, 2022 — The American Academy of Family Physicians, national not-for-profit 501(c) (3) group Project N95 and Kansas City Councilwoman Melissa J. Robinson have partnered to distribute 40,000 high-quality, high-filtration masks to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses among our city’s most vulnerable populations. Recipients will be students and teachers in nine schools in the Kansas City Public School District, as well as chronically ill, elderly and homebound clients of the Black Health Care Coalition.
While COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations have fallen in recent weeks, the pandemic continues to cause illness and death across the country — especially in communities of color where chronic conditions and health inequities have historically been more prevalent. COVID-19 has exacerbated chronic illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma in these high-risk populations, making it more important than ever to ensure equitable access to high-quality masks to protect themselves and each other.
The groups began distributing the masks on Saturday, Feb. 26, at Jamison Memorial Temple in Kansas City, Missouri, in conjunction with the Black Health Care Coalition Annual Leadership meeting. On Monday, Feb. 28, the groups began delivering the masks to the select high school and middle schools.
As we commemorate Black History Month, we are saddened and dismayed that Black people have died from COVID-19 at 1.4 times the rate of White people. (HHS). “Black History Month should be a time to celebrate the achievements of Black Americans as well as a time to acknowledge where progress still needs to be made,” said R. Shawn Martin, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the AAFP, which is headquartered in Leawood, Kansas. “More work is needed to address the spread of COVID-19, and more efforts are needed to fight racial disparities in prevention and care, including access to quality personal protective equipment.”
Family physicians can mitigate health inequity, including systemic racism, by collaborating with community stakeholders to affect positive change for the populations they serve. The AAFP is committed to developing strategies that promote health equity through identifying and incorporating social determinants of health in all health care delivery systems — with the goal of prioritizing preventive health and management of chronic conditions. “Our mission is to eliminate health disparities through advocacy, access to care and health promotion activities, and that’s why I’m so pleased to have the support of the AAFP and Project N95 as we work to reduce the incidence of COVID in our community,” said Third District Councilwoman Robinson, who serves as president of the Black Health Care Coalition (www.bhcckc.org). “In addition to wearing high-quality respiratory protection indoors, we are urging everyone in our community to get vaccinated.”
“It’s tempting to want to ‘go back to normal’ and stop wearing masks,’” said Anne Miller, executive director of Project N95. “But to do so overlooks the reality that health and social inequalities in our society persist and people are still getting sick, dealing with long COVID, and even dying from COVID. Being vaccinated and wearing a high-quality face covering are still two of the most important things you can do to protect yourself and your family.”
-# # #-
Media contacts:
Jana Sanchez
469-396-2048
press@projectn95.org
Rebecca Beeler
317-775-5789
rbeeler@aafp.org
We are happy to arrange Zoom or phone interviews with representatives of AAFP and Project N95 or with Councilwoman Melissa Robinson.
About American Academy of Family Physicians
Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 130,000 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the largest medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits — that’s 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine and the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, visit www.aafp.org. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s consumer website, www.familydoctor.org.
About Project N95
Project N95 is a national non-profit working to provide access to affordable and authentic respiratory protection for all through education, advocacy and distribution. In the sometimes chaotic PPE market we serve as a trusted and transparent resource, with established partnerships, comprehensive vetting processes and a mission to get PPE to people who need it as quickly as possible. In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when quality N95s were in short supply, our focus was on getting those masks to healthcare workers first. We now make high-quality masks, covid tests and filters available to anyone, to provide protection regardless of their ability to pay. Project N95 will continue to supply vetted, protective resources to Americans and continue to distribute them in local communities to people in need. The Project will also continue to provide tools and information to help Americans protect themselves from airborne risks. We will continue to provide products that are vetted and of high quality. Visit www.projectn95.org to learn more or donate.