The health system sent an email to employees April 20 saying that protective gear, including masks, gowns, gloves and face shields, should not be brought in from home for patient care activities.
“Bringing in PPE from home is not acceptable, as we are unable to ensure the safety of employees who wear PPE obtained outside of our normal UW Health review process and supply chain,” the email reads, according to the report.
UW Health recently allowed workers who aren’t involved in patient care to bring cloth masks and other face coverings from home. A spokesperson told the Wisconsin State Journal that the email was sent to eliminate confusion over which workers could bring in personal equipment from home.
On April 21, the health system announced it had started sterilizing previously worn N-95 respirators for reuse should its inventory run low.
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