Twin Cities organization launches medical ‘matchmaker’ during COVID-19 pandemic

A Twin Cities organization has launched a special kind of "matchmaker" service during the COVID-19 pandemic, connecting medical companies with businesses that can help fill supplies.

"I like to think of us as sort of the nerve center of the health care community here,” said Shaye Mandle, president and CEO of the Medical Alley Association.

The Golden Valley-based organization created an online tool called COVID-19 Resource Connect. Mandle said the site has already been visited more than 3,000 times by people around the world.

It’s a portal connecting companies on both ends of the spectrum: those that have a need and those that want to get creative and help.

"With the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unprecedented times, tons of needs but also a community with tons of resources,” Mandle explained.

Full coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic

Mandle gave 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS some examples of connections the tool has already made:

• Be the Match, the national bone marrow registry, sending swabs for coronavirus tests to hospitals,
• Companies that make air filters offering to help with masks,
• Distilleries working with EcoLab to use alcohol for hand sanitizer.

"We were also able to work with Boston Scientific to repurpose some ventilators that they use just at a testing lab, to get those to Fairview,” Mandle said. “We were able to get eight of those over last week."

Mandle said, as the crisis continues, there will continue to be concerning shortages in medical supplies.

“At this point, I don’t know that there is a need that isn’t worth bringing to us,” Mandle said. “We’re looking at bringing partners together to be able to make the things that the health care system needs today."

To access COVID-19 Resource Connect, click here.