Press Releases

BALTIMORE, MD – April 10, 2011 — Hord Coplan Macht (HCM) and SPEVCO, Inc. (SPEVCO) today announce the latest venture in their mobile healthcare line-up, introducing a conceptual hub model, serving as a docking station for mobile outreach.

The site-built HUB component works as a “home-base” for outreach and education. These HUBs contain blood draw stations, testing labs, patient exam bays, and other outpatient services that function as “community healthcare centers”. They can be sized to fit the population where they are placed, expanding in size and services as the situation requires.

As centers for health and wellness within each community, the HUBs offer unique opportunities to provide education to the public on wide-ranging healthcare topics for better overall community wellness. Serving as “docking stations” for the Monarch Mobile Healthcare vehicles, an outreach component to the design serves as an effective way to transfer this education, health and wellness out into the communities serviced.

The system of both permanently sited services and services with mobility offer a comprehensive healthcare package – mobile clinics communicate the consistent message of the importance of health and wellness to the public, while stationary HUBs provide the comfort of consistent services in a known location.

BALTIMORE, MD – May 17, 2010 – Hord Coplan Macht (HCM) and SPEVCO, Inc. (SPEVCO) today announce their MONARCH™ SYSTEMS EN-V: Environmental Clean-Up Solution (MONARCH™ EN-V) and stands ready to address the growing problem of wildlife endangered by the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill. While major efforts continue to contain the record volume of oil gushing from the spill and remain critical, the difficult and time-sensitive task of saving our precious wildlife calls for unprecedented means of dealing with animals on the affected – and soon-to-be affected – coastlines, rivers, and estuaries.

SPEVCO was instrumental in working with FEMA to provide emergency services during Hurricane Katrina. The original truck-based mobile MONARCH™ System, developed jointly between HCM and SPEVCO, is a scalable, modular, mobile healthcare delivery product that is being used world wide to bring vital healthcare to developing countries and disaster victims. It can be quickly modified to serve any situation.

Monarch EN-V is comprised of sustainable, self-contained units, capable of relocation within hours, treating a high volume of wildlife with proven methods of care. When assembled at various sites and configured to address the environmental clean-up solution, MONARCH™ EN-V will include: unit ONE for Volunteer Training; unit TWO for Stabilization of the animals; unit THREE for Wash and Rinse efforts; unit FOUR to Dry and Restore; and one warm and one cold Therapy Pool for Prep and Release.

truck_ONE – TRAINING

  • VOLUNTEER training is a necessity for environmental disaster clean-up. This box truck is equiped with a sample work station. Included are a handling station, showing how to properly handle the wildlife, a tagging station to demonstrate how to tag and log each animal taken into the cleaning program, and a mock-up cleaning station showing how to use each piece of equipment in the process.

truck_TWO – STABILIZATION

  • IDENTIFICATION – numbered plastic leg bands are attached to each animal, and recorded for tracking purposes.
  • PHYSICAL EXAM – each animal is given a preliminary exam to determine the condition of the animal and the degree of oiling. The animal is weighed, has its temperature taken, and a blood sample is taken to determine the internal health of the animal.
  • RE-HYDRATION – a hydrating solution is fed to the animal thru a tube to its stomach… the solution treats dehydration, absorbs any digested oils, and flushes out the animals system.
  • MONITORING – The animal is placed in a quiet, warm environment for a period of about 48 hours. An oiled animal is not able to thermo-regulate their internal body temperature, so continued observation for stress and hypothermia will be conducted. Animals should be housed according to each species requirements, so several sizes will be necessary. Animals should be discouraged from preening in order to not ingest any oils – the warm, quiet environment should be restful and peaceful to assist with this.
  • proper STABILIZATION, appropriate MEDICAL TREATMENTS, appropriate WEIGHT GAIN, excellent BLOOD VALUES, and NORMAL BEHAVIOR are the criteria that need to be met prior to being washed.

truck_THREE – WASH & RINSE

  • 10 to 15 basins are typical for a complete wash.
  • The entire body is submersed into a 1% solution of DAWN dishwashing liquid and warm water. The water temperature should be equivalent to the internal temperature of the animal being cleaned.
  • While one handler keeps the animal under control, a second handler will agitate the solution into the feathers of the animal.
  • A water pik with the same solution is used to spray clean the animals head.
  • Soft toothbrushes and cotton swabs are used to loosen dried oil around the head and eyes.
  • When the water becomes dirty or contaminated, the animal is moved to the next basin.
  • The process continues until the cleaning solution does not become contaminated with the agitation and cleaning of the animal. This typically takes 10-15 basins.
  • When the solution stays clean and the animal is oil-free, the patient is placed into a rinsing station. The rinsing station is another bin with a special spa nozzle using propelled water at an appropriate PSI (not too strong to injure the animal).
  • The detergent and solution must be completely cleaned off the animal in order for its waterproof coating to be fully functional. Once cleaned, the animal is inspected by an experienced rinser and then moved to the drying area.

truck_FOUR – DRY & RESTORE

  • The animal is placed in a protective net-bottomed pen equipped with commercial pet grooming dryers. Personal hair dryers are not to be used.
  • Resting comfortably, the animal will show signs of recovery while preening itself. The preening process allows the animal to properly position its feathers back into place, securing its waterproof coating.
  • Animals are tube fed a nutritious food mixture to assure proper nourishment, fluids, vitamins and medications.

therapy_POOLS – PREP & RELEASE

  • When the animal is dried and adequately preened, it is placed in a WARM WATER THERAPY POOL where it will continue to preen.
  • The animal will be monitored for its floating and swimming abilities.
  • When the animal demonstrates sufficient preening and its waterproofing has improved, it is graduated to a COLD WATER POOL. This is an outdoor diving pool where the animal can be completely immersed in a water-based environment full-time, continue to feed, preen and behave normally.
  • Monitoring continues to ensure these behavior traits are being met.
  • When the animal is ready, it is banded with a stainless steel US Fish & Wildlife leg band, and sent to an unaffected area for release.

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