Rotary Gifts For COVID Expenses

Alice, Texas: The Alice Rotary Club has come to the aid of HALO-Flight, who is battling excessive and unexpected costs related to the coronavirus, with a grant for $3000 to cover purchases of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies vital for patient and staff protection.

“As a non-profit, air ambulance service seeing horrific situations across our service area, we are prepared for everything to advance safety and patient outcomes,” stated HALO-Flight Executive Director Tom Klassen. “Being prepared for this worldwide pandemic has created problems in even the most prepared organizations, and we are indeed grateful for this generous support,” added Klassen.

Alice Rotary Club President Bruce Hoffman explained that the gift is a matching grant from Rotary District 5930 and the Alice Rotary Club with each contributing $1500.

“Our philosophy is to be hands-on with the communities in which we live and serve,” Hoffman explained. “For this HALO-Flight COVID -19 Support Grant, we know the needs are unprecedented, and the traditional opportunity to join hand-in-hand with HALO-Flight on this project was unobtainable due to the potentially contagious patient population that HALO-Flight has been serving since the crisis arose. With the incredible support of the Alice Rotary Club Board of Directors, and District 5930, we are delighted to be able to help the professionals at HALO-Flight because we are grateful for their service to Alice and South Texas.”

As a private, non-profit organization, and the exclusive air ambulance service for South Texans since 1987, HALO-Flight relies on the generous support of businesses, philanthropic organizations and individuals to keep the Mission alive every day.

With the recent advent of the coronavirus pandemic, such reliance has escalated for three specific reasons:

1) excessive expenditures on personal protection equipment (PPE);

2) a significant drop in patient flight volume which drives billed charges;

3) cancellation of fundraising events and other revenue generating endeavor.

The unexpected, yet vital, purchases of personal protective equipment have exceeded annual equipment costs at HALO-Flight due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Safety protocols require the medical personnel to utilize PPE (gown, gloves, goggles and masks) on all patients demonstrating symptoms associated with the virus.

HALO-Flight crews strategically question each patient to establish the need for specialized equipment such as a N95 mask. Securing PPE for HALO-Flight's medical staff is imperative in carrying out the Mission. Service remains open 24 hours each day, and seven days a week providing rapid response, treatment and transport to higher levels of care.

The primary source of income for HALO-Flight is patient flights, and flight volume during the crisis has dropped well below customary service levels.

Recent public safety precautions mandated during the coronavirus pandemic have necessitated that traditional marketing endeavor and fundraising events benefiting HALO-Flight be cancelled. These cancellations result in the loss of income for the Mission. Opportunities to address organizations and municipalities regarding purchase of the HALO-Flight Guardian Plan have also been dramatically curtailed due to the public scare of COVID-19.

###