Group Admins
Open Source Medical Supplies - British Columbia (OSMS-BC) aims to drive innovation and combat problems caused by COVID-19 by streamlining manufacturing, supporting local supply chains, and bringing our community’s ideas to action!
The Group's Purpose
OSMS-BC harnesses the agility of startups, non-profits, individuals, and the private sector to augment public health in the areas of design, research, analytics, community building, and information sharing. We openly collaborate with design teams, manufacturers, suppliers, and other stakeholders to overcome the challenges of delivering needed medical equipment and supplies. We are also a hub of information, gathering and curating knowledge that is then used to help inform and educate the public.
Past funding has allowed us to support design teams and manufactures working on PPE production and distribution to frontline workers.
Currently we are broadening our impact by championing ideas and projects from our community with the up-and-coming recurring pitch event, OSMS-SPARK, starting in May 2021. Individuals or teams will pitch their project ideas to address a medical, societal, economical, or environmental problem caused by COVID-19 (with a focus on Canada) to a panel of OSMS-BC judges and compete for winnings and support from OSMS that will allow them to successfully carry out their ideas. The winning pitches will receive a minimum of $1000 in funding and access to OSMS-BC's network, mentorship, technical expertise and review, volunteers, and marketing; helping contestant’s ideas become the spark that starts a flame.
How to Help
We need your help to see more community ideas become reality which will help them make a difference. We are seeking donations to help us fund more innovators through our OSMS-SPARK events. Our goal is to raise $10,000 that we can use in this effort.
For more information about the OSMS-SPARK design competition please go to: osmsbc.ca/osms-spark
The full Fundraising Package can be seen here on our Google Drive.
About the Organizers
Serving as the BC chapter of OSMS, we are a group composed entirely of volunteers working to improve both local and global efforts to fight COVID-19 as well as improve the future of health care in our regions.
At the local level, we work with BC-based design teams who are developing COVID-19 related Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other medical solutions. We connect these teams to manufacturing companies who are able to take their designs and produce them at large scale. We also connect them with relevant contacts through our partners who can provide needed expertise and mentorship. At global level, we work with the OSMS "mothership" to provide made-in-BC research and designs open source to be made available around the world.
Where have we seen success so far? We have supported teams designing aerosol boxes for intubation procedures, ventilation support systems for patients, and pressure negative rooms for hospitals. We have also worked with large scale manufacturers and home-based makers who are involved in PPE production and distribution.
Please visit our website at osmsbc.ca to learn more!
