Before the First Patient: Sharp HealthCare and MedCycle Network Put Protective Gear in the Hands of Nursing Students
For nursing students, personal protective equipment is not optional equipment, it is a foundation of safe practice. An N95 mask is what allows a student to lean in, to learn, to care, without putting themselves or their patients at risk. And yet, for many nursing programs operating on tight budgets, ensuring every student has the right gear is a genuine challenge.
Sharp HealthCare and MedCycle Network believe that preparing the next generation of nurses means making sure they have what they need from day one.
A health system defined by excellence
Sharp HealthCare is San Diego’s largest integrated health system, comprising five acute care hospitals, five specialty hospitals, three affiliated medical groups, and a robust network of outpatient and urgent care facilities. Sharp’s mission to improve the health of those we serve with a commitment to excellence in all that we do, is grounded in a culture of quality, compassion, and community accountability.
That commitment to excellence extends to how Sharp develops the next generation of health care professionals. Through the Caster Nursing Institute, Sharp operates one of the most respected nurse residency and education programs in the country, including a state-of-the-art simulation center where nurses train in high-fidelity clinical environments before stepping onto the floor. Sharp understands that the pipeline of skilled, compassionate nurses is not just a workforce issue, it is a patient safety issue. To learn more about Sharp’s commitment to nursing education, visit the Caster Nursing Institute and their Brown Simulation Center.
The donation: two supplies, two kinds of protection
When Sharp’s supply chain team identified surplus N95 masks and sanitary wipes that could no longer be used within the system, they called MedCycle Network.
Sharp HealthCare donated N95 masks and sanitary wipes, two items that represent different but equally essential dimensions of safe healthcare.
N95 masks are the standard of respiratory protection in clinical settings. Designed to filter at least 95 percent of airborne particles, they are the gear nurses and physicians reach for during procedures, in isolation rooms, and in any situation where airborne transmission is a risk. For a nursing student, wearing an N95 correctly is both a clinical skill and a professional habit, one that must be learned and practiced from the very first day of hands-on training.
Sanitary wipes are the unsung workhorse of infection control. Used to disinfect surfaces, equipment, and high-touch areas between patients, they are foundational to preventing the spread of healthcare-associated infections. In a busy clinic or community setting, running out of wipes is not a minor inconvenience, it is a patient safety gap.
Sharp’s donation put both items to work where they were needed most.
“At Sharp HealthCare, we believe that good stewardship of resources is part of our commitment to the community. When we identified surplus supplies that our system could no longer use, partnering with MedCycle Network was an obvious choice. Knowing that these materials are now supporting nursing students and community organizations makes this the right outcome for everyone involved.” — John Willi, Chief Supply Chain Officer
Where the supplies went: equipping the next generation
N95 masks to a college of nursing
The N95 masks from Sharp’s donation were directed to a college whose mission is to prepare competent, compassionate professionals empowered to promote health, wellness, safety, and quality care for all. For nursing students at this institution, clinical rotations are the bridge between classroom knowledge and real-world practice, and proper protective equipment is what makes that bridge safe to cross.
This connection carries particular resonance given Sharp’s own investment in nursing education. The Caster Nursing Institute’s residency program and Simulation Center represent Sharp’s belief that well-trained nurses are the foundation of excellent patient care. By donating surplus N95 masks to a nursing college, Sharp extended that belief beyond their own walls, equipping students who will go on to serve communities across California and beyond.
Every mask in this donation is a tool for learning. And every student who learns to use it correctly will carry that practice with them for an entire career.
“Evidence-based practice begins with the right tools. When nursing students have access to proper protective equipment from day one of their clinical experience, we are not just keeping them safe, we are teaching them that safety is inseparable from excellent care. The Caster Nursing Institute is proud to see Sharp HealthCare's partnership with MedCycle Network support the next generation of nurses, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen the bridge between health system resources and nursing education." — Laurie Ecoff, PhD, RN, Vice President, Caster Nursing Institute, Sharp HealthCare
Sanitary wipes to a Greater Sacramento Area nonprofit
The sanitary wipes from the Sharp donation traveled north to a nonprofit partner in the Greater Sacramento Area, where they support frontline staff and volunteers working directly with community members in need. In settings where professional cleaning services and supply budgets are limited, donated sanitary wipes are not a convenience, they are an infection control essential that keeps both workers and the people they serve safer.
Why this model works and why it scales
The Sharp HealthCare collaboration reflects something MedCycle Network encounters again and again: health systems want to do more with their medical surplus. They have sustainability goals, community benefit commitments, and supply chain teams who understand the problem firsthand. What they often lack is a trusted, efficient partner to move supplies from a warehouse shelf to a clinic’s door.
MedCycle Network provides exactly that. As with our partnerships with UCSF Health, CommonSpirit Health, MarinHealth, and MemorialCare; Sharp HealthCare trusted us to catalogue, match, and deliver their medical surplus to organizations where it would directly expand access to care. Every donation is tracked. Every recipient is a vetted partner. Every delivery is documented.
What makes the Sharp collaboration particularly meaningful is the symmetry of values. A health system that invests in nursing education donating masks to nursing students is not a coincidence, it is a mission in motion.
“Sharp HealthCare didn’t just donate supplies, they donated to the future of nursing. When we matched their N95 masks to a college training the next generation of healthcare professionals, that felt exactly right. This is what happens when health systems treat surplus as a community asset.” — Andy Pines, Board Chair and Co-Founder, MedCycle Network
Gratitude and what comes next
MedCycle Network is grateful to the Sharp HealthCare team, and especially to John Willi and the entire supply chain and Caster Nursing Institute teams, for their valuable time, coordination, and trust it takes to move a donation like this from identification to delivery. Transforming surplus into care is never automatic. It requires people who believe it is worth doing.
We look forward to deepening this partnership and finding new opportunities to put Sharp’s commitment to excellence and community into practice, one delivery, one student, one community at a time.
Partner with MedCycle Network
Is your health system carrying surplus medical supplies? MedCycle Network makes redistribution simple, traceable, and mission-aligned. Learn how to become a hospital partner at www.medcyclenetwork.org.