Cooper University Health Care has received a $500,000 grant from Lockheed Martin to purchase badly needed personal protective equipment, it announced Tuesday.
The Maryland-based aerospace company has a major presence in New Jersey, including a large South Jersey facility in Moorestown.
The grant will be used for PPE including N95 respirators, masks, gloves, gowns and more, as Camden-based Cooper wages the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everyone at Cooper University Health Care is deeply appreciative of Lockheed Martin’s support for the heroic efforts of our clinical teams, and this donation will help us purchase the protective equipment they need to stay healthy and safe,” Cooper Chairman George Norcross said in a prepared statement.
Lockheed Martin cited the story of Brett Breslow of Cherry Hill, a company engineer, and his wife, Amy Breslow, as inspiration. Brett Breslow was hospitalized for more than 30 days during a successful fight against the coronavirus, with his wife becoming an advocate for COVID patients.
“On behalf of the 8,000 Lockheed Martin employees in the greater Philadelphia and southern New Jersey region, we want to say how thankful we are for the health care workers on the front line of this pandemic, and appreciate all they do to keep us safe and healthy,” Paul Lemmo, vice president and general manager of the Moorestown business, Lockheed Martin Integrated Warfare Systems and Sensors, said in a statement.
The company has donated a total of $1 million to the COVID fight in the region, Lemmo noted. Its support for Cooper has included donating cell phones to facilitate patient communication and more than 1,600 meals for hospital staff.
“On behalf of all of our employees, I want to thank Lockheed Martin for this extremely generous grant that will help protect our clinical teams treating COVID-19 patients and serve the health care needs of our community,” Kevin O’Dowd, Cooper’s co-CEO and president, said in a statement.
“Cooper’s clinical and support staff are among the most skilled, compassionate and dedicated health care professionals, and this contribution will directly provide needed resources to protect those on the front line providing care to COVID-19 patients,” Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli, co-CEO and president, added.
