TV medical dramas like Fox’s “The Resident,” NBC’s “New Amsterdam” and ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Good Doctor” and “Station 19” are donating the medical supplies they use for their respective productions to hospitals and fire stations in need during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“At Station 19, we were lucky enough to have about 300 of the coveted N95 masks which we donated to our local fire station,” “Station 19” and “Grey’s Anatomy” showrunner Krista Vernoff said in a statement Thursday. “They were tremendously grateful. At ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ we have a backstock of gowns and gloves which we are donating as well. We are all overwhelmed with gratitude for our healthcare workers during this incredibly difficult time, and in addition to these donations, we are doing our part to help them by staying home.”
“Station 19” donated some of their N95 masks to the City of Ontario Fire Department after the “Grey’s” spinoff learned that the department was out and recycling the masks that they had. The show has also donated some N95 masks to a firehouse in Los Feliz, Calif.
A spokesperson for “The Good Doctor” says the ABC show, starring Freddie Highmore, plans to give masks and other medical supplies to facilities in Vancouver, Canada.
Meanwhile, the Matt Czuchry-led “The Resident,” which films in Atlanta, has donated items like masks, gloves and gowns to Grady Memorial Hospital.
“To the entire team @theresidentonfox, thank you for this incredibly generous donation of #PPE from your set, including gowns, masks, gloves, and all the things our healthcare workers need to provide safe care for our community during #COVID19,” Dr. Karen Law, a rheumatologist at Grady Memorial Hospital, wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday. “Yesterday, I had a serious discussion with the residents about how, though supplies are low, a magical shipment of masks is unlikely to arrive. And yet, a magical shipment of masks DID arrive, in the form of this very generous gesture. This kind of community support means so much to our #frontlineproviders who are making many sacrifices to staff our hospitals and care for our community. Thank you, @theresidentonfox and @foxtv for being helpers. We needed this kind of good news today.”
Additionally, NBC’s Ryan Eggold-led medical drama “New Amsterdam,” which films at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital, “has donated supplies of masks, gloves, gowns and other items to the New York State Department of Health to be utilized on the basis of highest need in connection with relief efforts in New York to help the community in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis,” a spokesperson for the network tells TheWrap.
On Thursday, “New Amsterdam” star Daniel Dae Kim said he has tested positive for coronavirus. But producers have no concerns about contamination with regards to the products they’ve donated to real hospitals, a person with knowledge of the situation tells TheWrap.
The supplies donated by these TV medical dramas couldn’t come at a better time for hospitals that are currently facing serious shortages of everyday materials, including face masks, which their health-care workers need in order to continue treating patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Resident,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “New Amsterdam” are among several TV series that have had to suspend or delay production over the last couple weeks due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. Both “The Good Doctor” and “Station 19” wrapped filming in early March, so those shows were not affected by the shutdowns.
You can see a complete list of the series that are on hold, which TheWrap will continue to update as more information becomes available, here.