SSM Health Sends Supplies To Ukrainian Refugees

Press release from SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton:

March 15, 2022

When her daughter’s school was looking for medical supplies to send to Ukrainians fleeing their country after the Russian invasion, Dr. Paola Fliman knew exactly where to turn. She reached out to leaders at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Madison, Wisconsin.

Dr. Fliman’s daughter, Margarita (Mimi) Yevzlin, is a 16-year-old high school junior and a member of her school’s Social Awareness and Activism Club. The group wanted to take an active role in addressing the Ukrainian refugee crisis, and last week held a drive to collect items like non-perishable food, new clothing, blankets and bedding, tents and sleeping bags, hygiene products and medical supplies.

St. Mary’s Hospital donated 8,000 procedure masks, 3,600 duckbill surgical masks, 2,400 shoe covers and 120 protective goggles to the cause.

“I am very proud of our ministry’s response to assist the Madison Country Day School with their efforts to collect humanitarian and medical supplies,” said Brad Haas, Supply Chain Operations Manager for St. Mary’s Hospital. “Within one hour, our Supply Chain team was able to identify vital medical supplies that will make an immediate impact for the Ukrainian caregivers and refugees. We are very humbled to have had this opportunity to support the world’s mission. Our thoughts and our prayers are with the Ukrainian people during this historic time of need.”

Brad and Supply Chain Technician Rick Peterson helped Dr. Fliman load the boxes of medical supplies into her vehicle Thursday morning so she could deliver them to her daughter’s school. Dr. Fliman says Mimi and her classmates were extremely grateful for the supplies donated by St. Mary’s Hospital, as they are especially hard to come by.

“Both Mimi and I are so proud that SSM stepped in to help those in need. We can’t thank SSM enough,” said Dr. Fliman. “It is so heartwarming to be a part of an organization that responds so selflessly when asked. As the current chief of staff, this contribution is especially meaningful.”

It’s also meaningful because Dr. Fliman’s husband is a former Ukrainian refugee. He was born in Odessa, Ukraine, when it was part of the USSR. When he was seven years old, he and his family were forced to flee in the middle of the night due to religious persecution.

“He remembers the harrowing journey,” Dr. Fliman said. “They spent about a year moving from city to city around Europe before they were ultimately granted asylum in the U.S. Mimi knows his story well and that was part of the reason this cause spoke to her.”

Mimi donated several hours of her free time last week to sorting and packing items to get them ready to send. Dr. Fliman and her younger daughter also volunteered their time to the drive, which brought in thousands of donations.

“The Madison community came out in full force,” Dr. Fliman said. “It was amazing to see the response.”

The students are partnering with Meest, an international delivery company that serves Eastern Europe, to get the needed goods to Ukrainian refugees.

This press release was produced by SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.