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Natasha Albon (fifth from the left) and her Vyaire colleagues help assemble bellavista ventilators for delivery to U.K. hospitals.

Going the Extra Mile(s) to Help Customers

May 5, 2020

For the better part of April Natasha Albon, a Vyaire U.K. account manager, has been crisscrossing the North and West parts of England and Scotland virtually non-stop as she and her colleagues go to extraordinary lengths to ensure their clients have the necessary equipment and resources to battle the COVID-19 virus. In March the U.K. National Health Service put out a call for 30,000 new ventilators to help meet the expected surge in demand for the devices as a result of the pandemic. Since then, Albon, like her teammates, has spent more time in her car than she has at home. “It’s been a bit of a blur. At one point it was like 12 days in a row,” said Albon, who joined Vyaire in October 2019. “I help to drive them up (to Scotland) and do some training. Then I do some more training on my way home.” When she’s not on the road helping her customers, Albon spends weekends returning calls and answering emails. “We’re all doing what we can to make sure they’re set up and ready to go,” she said. “I’m home now. For how long I’m not sure.” As exhausting as the work has been, Albon says she draws inspiration from the many people she meets and the esprit de corps she sees. “It’s been really nice to see how different people from different areas have been pulling together to work as a team,” she said. “It’s really, really nice to witness just how much people care.” For more information about Vyaire’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, visit the company’s COVID-19 Response Center at https://www.vyaire.com/Covid-19.
Vyaire Medical has begun shipping LTV2 2200 ventilators as part of its contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Vyaire Medical Begins Fulfilling HHS Contract

May 5, 2020

Vyaire Medical Inc., the world’s largest healthcare company fully dedicated to respiratory care, has started shipping its LTV2 2200 ventilators as part of its contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted an Emergency Use Authorization to distribute the LTV2 2200.in the United States while the company pursues a 510(k) submission. HHS awarded Vyaire Medical a $407.9 million contract to produce 22,000 ventilators for the U.S. National Strategic Stockpile by June 29. The LTV2 2200 ventilator, already in use in Japan , is latest an iteration in the popular LTV series of ventilators that are designed to be lightweight and portable in the healthcare setting. “Vyaire Medical’s sole business is making and servicing respiratory devices and we are well-positioned to deliver much-needed equipment to our frontline responders as they treat patients suffering breathing difficulties as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus,” said CEO Gaurav Agarwal. “Our team accelerated production and delivery of ventilators back in February, and we are grateful for the partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services to further expand production and speed the delivery of this essential medical equipment where it is most needed.” Beginning in February, Vyaire Medical has taken numerous steps to meet the growing demand for ventilators and other related respiratory equipment, including hiring additional workers to add manufacturing shifts at its facility in Palm Springs, CA. The company also focused engineering resources on high-priority, high-demand equipment and consumables and began deploying ventilators as quickly as they were made to the regions that need them most. “We took swift and decisive action as a result of this evolving pandemic in order to meet the expected surge in demand for ventilation equipment,” Agarwal said. “Our goal was to increase output as quickly as possible. We have been in close contact with government officials and healthcare experts at the federal and state level since this outbreak began, and we are grateful for their support. This HHS award to supply ventilators for the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile   allows us to further dramatically expand our production capabilities to help satisfy the intensifying need for respiratory care equipment.” For more information about Vyaire’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, visit the company’s COVID-19 Response Center at https://www.vyaire.com/Covid-19.

Field Technicians Help Build Ventilator Capacity

May 4, 2020

Vyaire Medical’s field service technicians have been keeping up with the increased customer demand for ventilator installations and maintenance thanks to a little help from their friends, both inside and outside the company. In recent weeks there has been a lot of attention focused on the manufacture and delivery of new ventilators, but the servicing and repair of existing devices is just as important in order for hospitals and others to maintain and expand their respiratory treatment capacity in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. “It means immediate deployment of that product. If they have service today, they have that device today,” said Dominick Iuliano, senior director of U.S. Field Services at Vyaire Medical. He noted that every device his team keeps running is one less device that has to go through time-consuming ordering and manufacturing processes. The ongoing need for service and maintenance, coupled with the installation of all the new devices being delivered, has kept Vyaire Medical’s field service technicians extremely busy in recent weeks. “During the last month we’ve probably touched 1,000 devices in terms of maintenance and installations,” Iuliano said. That’s about five times the average activity of 175 to 200 devices per month, he added. Ventilators have hundreds of electronic, pneumatic and mechanical components. An average service call takes about three hours, depending on the ventilator and the scope of the repair. Installations require the devices to be assembled, then delivered and then training the staff on operating the machine. All of that adds up to some long days for Vyaire Medical’s 33 field service technicians. Sam Mannis woke up early one morning and drove four hours in order to be onsite for the delivery of 10 AVEA™ ventilators to an Illinois hospital; her manager Dustin Highland drove about 2 hours. After the devices were assembled and installed, Mannis and Highland turned around and drove home to get ready for the next day. Most, if not all, of the field service technicians could tell similar tales. “They’ve been in the heat of things,” Iuliano said, noting technicians often are working inside care sites in some of the hottest of hot spots for COVID-19, such as New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area. “They’ve been in the hospitals and working closely with the hospital teams to meet hospital protocols,” he said. Vyaire Medical makes personal protective equipment available to all technicians to keep them as safe and healthy as possible. And there has been some changes to normal procedures, such as assembling devices in offsite facilities, when possible. During one such installation, a delivery of 45 VELA ventilators for the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency were placed in a warehouse belonging to the Georgia state police academy. There, the Vyaire Medical team of Brandon Marsalis, Javier Martinez, Hector Ortiz and their manager John Koch were joined by three state police academy recruits in assembling the equipment. “They were great. They totally rolled up their sleeves and pitched right in,” Iuliano said, adding the service team also has been augmented at times by Vyaire Medical training and sales personnel. Iuliano is proud of the effort he’s seen from the field service technicians to meet customer demand to date and is confident they will continue to do so going forward, even as the number of installations needed continues to climb. “These people are still flying. They’re getting on planes and getting in their cars and driving to these installations. Whatever it takes,” he said. For more information about Vyaire’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, visit the company’s COVID-19 Response Center at https://www.vyaire.com/Covid-19.

Statement on the Defense Production Act to Supply Ventilator Manufacturers

April 3, 2020

“As the leading manufacturer of solutions for the treatment and monitoring of respiratory conditions at every stage of life, Vyaire Medical has been working tirelessly to deliver our ventilator equipment for patients in respiratory distress due to COVID-19, and to the healthcare workers treating them. We are grateful for any support that ensures access to a robust global supply chain so that companies like ours can obtain the necessary components and equipment as we continue to ramp up production at our manufacturing facilities in North America. Unlike other manufacturers now being called into service, Vyaire is the only company solely dedicated to manufacturing equipment for respiratory care, previously manufacturing up to 1,700 ventilators per month. Now, to help frontline responders and health systems manage and treat critical conditions due to COVID-19, our goal is to increase output exponentially and as quickly as possible. The Administration’s action is extremely beneficial as we focus our efforts on meeting this unprecedented demand and ensuring efficient, effective and timely distribution of our ventilators to the patients and caregivers who need them most.” For more information, visit: www.vyairemedical.com
Gaurav Agarwal, CEO

Vyaire Medical Steps Up Operations in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

April 3, 2020

CHICAGO – April 3, 2020 – Vyaire Medical, Inc. and CEO Gaurav Agarwal today issued the following update on the company’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: “Vyaire Medical is committed to partnering with public health, government and medical frontline responders to combat the threat of the coronavirus pandemic. Our global team is working tirelessly to deliver and accelerate access to essential medical equipment for patients in respiratory distress due to COVID-19 and to the healthcare workers treating them,” said CEO Gaurav Agarwal. Beginning in January, Vyaire -- the largest company in the global healthcare ecosystem fully dedicated to respiratory care -- began the process of retooling its manufacturing capacity to meet the emerging global need and the expected surge in demand for ventilation equipment as the medical community responded to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. “In January, we initiated a proactive strategy to expand our manufacturing capabilities and begin to scale our workforce to dramatically increase the volume of new ventilators and accompanying equipment, such as circuits, filters and water traps,” Agarwal said. “Our goal was to increase our output exponentially, and as quickly as possible, to help frontline responders and health systems manage and treat critical conditions due to COVID-19.” Vyaire has been in close consultation with public and government healthcare responders to align, prioritize, scale and mobilize quickly as the crisis evolves around the world. Among other strategies, the company is redeploying engineering resources and seeking to hire additional workforce to accelerate production of ventilators at key manufacturing facilities. In addition, the company is exploring potential partnerships with non-medical equipment manufacturers and distribution companies to increase the availability of life-saving equipment and speed access to areas of the country in most critical need. Vyaire’s broad range of products provide solutions across specialties that span the continuum of care, including Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Infection Control and Prevention, Pulmonology and Respiratory Therapy. Proactive planning and risk mitigation activities are ongoing to reduce risk and ensure consistent access to Vyaire’s products. The company has implemented immediate actions, including: Robust preventive measures to ensure our manufacturing facilities remain fully operational and our employees stay safe. To prevent community spread in manufacturing facilities, Vyaire increased hygiene protocols, ensured employees have the latest guidance from the CDC, WHO and other public health agencies, limited visitors to its manufacturing sites and allowed those who can work remotely to do so. The company also established an internal team that is actively monitoring and determining the appropriate measures to help guide ongoing policies and actions as the public health crisis evolves. Close coordination with global suppliers to ensure access to necessary supplies is safe and secure. Vyaire is advocating that the global supply chain remain open and uninterrupted, particularly as other non-medical manufacturers are called upon to begin making respiratory equipment, so there is adequate access to necessary components to match increased production of ventilators. Flexibility in fulfillment processes to prioritize bedside delivery. In close consultation with customers, the public health community and federal and state governments, Vyaire is prioritizing and aligning the delivery of its respiratory solutions to those in most critical need, including hospitals in hotspot areas. “Vyaire has a long history of clinical excellence, leadership and expertise in treating and monitoring respiratory conditions in every stage of life. Today, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, our passionate, dedicated global workforce is fulfilling our commitment to quality and accountability as we focus on supporting life by delivering critical equipment to those who need it most,” said Agarwal. Vyaire has raised incremental financing, led by Bank of America and Royal Bank of Canada, with the support of existing investors including GSO, Symphony Asset Management, Blackrock and MVCredit.  The new investment round will enable Vyaire to further capitalize on its position as largest company in the global healthcare ecosystem fully dedicated to respiratory care, and its efforts to rapidly respond to the unprecedented demand for ventilators and accompanying equipment.  For more information, please visit our website, which will be updated as our pandemic response evolves: Vyaire COVID-19 Response Center. About Vyaire Medical Headquartered in suburban Chicago, Vyaire Medical – a global company dedicated to respiratory care — enables, improves and extends lives with an unyielding focus on improving patient outcomes and increasing value for customers. The company was formed in October 2016 to serve healthcare providers with innovative devices and service solutions across the respiratory and anesthesia continua of care. Vyaire’s legacy brands have a 65-year track record of pioneering and advancing respiratory diagnostics, ventilation, and anesthesia delivery & monitoring. From original brands including Bird, Bear, and JAEGER to industry leaders AirLife™, Vital Signs™, Viasys, and many others — Vyaire Medical is recognized, trusted and preferred by specialists in respiratory and anesthesiology healthcare worldwide. Learn more at www.vyaire.com. Contact Cheston Turbyfill VP Corporate Communications Email: Cheston.Turbyfill@vyaire.com
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