Pivoting with the Pandemic

“It’s not just about keeping yourself safe. Wearing a mask means protecting those we care about the most,” says Shelley Wilson, President and Founder of Wilson Homecare and Wilson Care Group. With the COVID-19 pandemic threatening the lives of so many, the recent requirement for the general public to wear personal protective equipment, or PPE, has placed immense strain on the global PPE supply chain. Before mandates for PPE emerged, many in the healthcare industry were already seeking out 3-ply masks, sanitizers, gloves, face shields, and no-touch thermometers. Yet, as drastic demand for these items spiked in January, supply shortages emerged around the world. Watching this unfold, Shelley began purchasing bulk PPE for her clients, their families, visitors, and her 500 nurses and caregivers. In connecting to supply chains early on in the pandemic and predicting a possible supply shortage in Hawai‘i, Shelley was able to secure large amounts of both medical and non-medical grade PPE. At first, Shelley offered extra supplies to local healthcare professionals in need; but, with ever-increasing demand of such products, she opened two e-commerce companies: Be Well Hawaii, to address the needs of front-line healthcare workers, and alohamask.com, to address the needs of local families and reopening businesses. While many other companies have addressed the same shortages, Shelley’s companies differentiate themselves with their wide range of PPE products, quality, affordability, and quick 2-3 day turnaround with free shipping statewide.

Shelley’s companies, Be Well Hawaii and Wilson Care Group, have also teamed up to donate directly to front-line caregivers in need. Due to limited resources and preparation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, many hospitals, care groups, and clinics were unable to afford or obtain enough PPE in a timely manner. The generosity from Shelley’s businesses garnered interest from groups like #AlohaTogetherHawaii, an online community of entertainers who came together for a broadcast concert series in support of Hawai‘i’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The group introduced Shelley’s PPE companies to the world through their collaborated broadcasts with iHeartMedia and KITV. These broadcasts helped Shelley’s companies earn over $30,000 in donations for the cause Mission First Responders. These funds have supplied PPE to some of Hawai‘i’s top healthcare providers, such as Castle Medical Center, Hawai‘i Pacific Health networks, Kuakini Medical Center, Leahi Hospital, St. Francis Healthcare Systems of Hawaii, Queen’s Medical Center, and Wahiawa General Hospital. As Flash Hansen, a collaborator of #AlohaTogetherHawaii states, “The margins are paper thin.” He refers to Shelley’s PPE companies, “This is not a money or profit thing. This is a helping Hawai‘i thing.”