CLEVELAND, March 24 – Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Whiskey are collaborating to formulate, blend and bottle hand sanitizer for the health system. A sufficient supply of hand sanitizer is key to protect the health and wellness of healthcare providers who are critical to not just those who contract COVID-19 but to everyone who needs medical attention during this time.
“We jumped at the chance to collaborate with Cleveland Clinic to help supply the system with hand sanitizer,” said Tom Lix, founder and CEO of Cleveland Whiskey. “Our mission is to make good whiskey and do the right thing, and this is definitely doing the right thing. This will help protect both frontline healthcare workers and the patients they care for. It’s the best way we can help our community.”
There are more than 51,000 caregivers across Cleveland Clinic’s main campus and 11 regional hospitals in Ohio. The health system says it is committed to keeping its caregivers and the community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are grateful for Cleveland Whiskey’s support as we navigate this evolving situation,” said Allison Riffle, assistant director of Pharmacy at Cleveland Clinic. “Hand sanitizer is a vital component that helps us protect our caregivers and patients. It was important to us to identify a local supplier that could meet the FDA requirements and work quickly with us to meet our health system’s demand.”
An initial run of almost 1,000 bottles were produced and distributed among the Cleveland Clinic locations for caregivers to use. More bottles will become available as production picks up and other partners join the initiative.
The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (MAGNET), an organization that helped design the technology that Cleveland Whiskey uses to produce whiskey, is looking for ways that companies can retool to combat this crisis. MAGNET provided financial support to make this change to hand sanitizer a reality.
“The level of support and adaptability from Ohio businesses at this time has been extraordinary,” said Ethan Karp, president and CEO of MAGNET. “The ability for these companies to retool and focus resources where they are needed most is a real asset to our region and the country. If you think you are a manufacturer who can contribute to making needed hospital and medical supplies, please contact us.”
“There’s no charge for what we’re doing, it’s simply in the best interest of our city and our community,” said Lix. “We are also looking for other potential partners to help supply grain for distillation, bottles and labels for the packaging.”
About Cleveland Whiskey – Founded in 2009, Cleveland Whiskey is a local maker of Bourbon and Rye Whiskeys. Visit Cleveland Whiskey at www.clevelandwhiskey.com…. To follow the company, visit @clevelandwhiskey on Instagram and Facebook.
About Cleveland Clinic – Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Visit Cleveland Clinic at clevelandclinic.org…. Follow Cleveland Clinic at twitter.com… and twitter.com….
Cleveland Whiskey has collaborated with Cleveland Clinic to supply hand sanitizer to the health system (Video courtesy of Cleveland Whiskey and Cleveland Clinic)
© 2020 Metro Monthly. All rights reserved.
