BVI makes significant investment to provide PPE for healthcare workers; Forges partnership with Haywood Vocational Opportunities (HVO) bringing new production capacity for Isolation Gowns in the US

WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BVI, the fastest-growing diversified company in ophthalmology, has partnered with Haywood Vocational Opportunities (HVO) to provide isolation gowns to US healthcare workers on the front lines of the pandemic effort.  HVO is a US based medical product manufacturer who provides vocational training and employment opportunities for adults with disadvantages and disabilities.  The partnership took form during the late spring in response to the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Through outstanding teamwork between the organizations, an isolation gown was designed, tested, manufactured, and ultimately released to the market in less than 3 months which is unprecedented for a company in the ophthalmic industry.  The first recipients of the US-made gowns are healthcare workers throughout North Carolina, where HVO is based.

"As a partner to healthcare service providers, we are very excited to continue our support of front line workers and to support local economies with job creation. I am very proud of the speed at which our two organizations took an idea from concept to final product introduction," said Shervin Korangy, President and CEO of BVI. 

"COVID-19 cases in North Carolina were increasing rapidly back in April when BVI came to us. We quickly jumped to action and helped jointly develop the isolation gown and started retraining our workforce," said Audrey S. Gaddis, President of HVO. "We were able to grow our capabilities for our workforce, which was truly a blessing during this surge in unemployment across the country. Thank you to BVI for driving this, HVO is honored to partner with BVI to support our front-line workers."

About BVI

BVI^® is a global ophthalmic medical device manufacturer with a mission to deliver high quality solutions and innovation for advancing eye surgery and improving the vision of patients.  With nine decades of developing leading products and solutions, BVI partners with ophthalmic surgeons to improve the vision of millions of patients across the globe.  Our organization supports surgical teams, in more than 115 countries worldwide, either directly or through our network of trusted distributors.  Our trusted brands include: Beaver^® (Knives and Blades), Visitec® (Cannulas), Malosa® (Single-Use Instruments), Vitreq® (Vitreoretinal Surgical Products) and PhysIOL® (Premium Intraocular Lenses).

Learn more at bvimedical.com.

About HVO
Haywood Vocational Opportunities (HVO) is a social enterprise business located in the beautiful blue ridge mountains of Western North Carolina. HVO is the largest manufacturer of custom medical drapes in the US and produces drapes, plus other medical devices for both domestic and international surgical needs.

HVO has more than 35 years of experience in manufacturing disposable healthcare products and has created partnerships with some of the key players in the medical industry. HVO is currently the largest manufacturer of custom medical drapes in the United States.

Learn more at https://www.hvoinc.com/

Media Contact
Lars Bonefeld, VP, Global Marketing, [email protected]

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SOURCE BVI