Nike is prototyping face shields for doctors and nurses in Oregon as the coronavirus rips through the globe
- Nike is creating personal protective equipment (PPE) for support doctors, nurses amid the coronavirus outbreak.
- In a conference call on Tuesday, where the company reported better-than-expected results for Q3, CEO John Donahoe announced that Nike is prototyping face shields to help healthcare professionals.
- "Based on needs identified by the teams and health professionals at Oregon Health & Science University, our teammates are working right now about how to best help, including prototyping face shields of OHSU and others," Donahoe said.
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As some of its stores slowly reopen across the globe, Nike is stepping up to help healthcare professionals during the coronavirus outbreak.
CEO John Donahoe announced in a conference call on Tuesday the Nike is prototyping personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face shields to help doctors and nurses during the outbreak with guidance from the healthcare workers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).
"Companies like Nike need to do our part," Donahoe said on the call, where the company reported better than expected results for Q3. "Based on needs identified by the teams and health professionals at Oregon Health & Science University, our teammates are working right now about how to best help, including prototyping face shields of OHSU and others."
In a statement to Business Insider, Nike said that the company is launching the initiative with OHSU and focusing on supporting Oregon healthcare workers to start.
"We're focused on working with OHSU to support Oregon healthcare workers, as a start," Nike said.
Earlier this month, Donahoe, his wife Eileen, and other current and former Nike executives participated in a $7 million donation to OHSU to support efforts to combat and treat COVID-19 in Oregon.
"OHSU is extremely grateful to the team at Nike for their generous offer to help OHSU in our coordination with other health systems during this unprecedented time," OHSU said in a statement to Business Insider. "We are committed to ongoing discussions regarding their efforts to develop prototype face shields to help ensure the safety and well-being of health care professionals."
Nike released a sneaker last year designed to be worn by medical workers and donated all of the profits from the shoe to the OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital.
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