Partnerships for Progress: Spotlight on Barlow Respiratory Hospital

Every now and then, if you’re lucky, you have the good fortune to engage with a strategic partner who shares your goals, values and vision. With acres of common ground, you effortlessly work hand in hand to advance causes that truly matter to the both of you. For EVCS, Barlow Respiratory Hospital is such a partner – one of those rare facilities that fully embodies our commitment to making the planet a safer, healthier, happier place, one person at a time.

Barlow was founded in 1902 with a mission to achieve the best possible quality of life for the greatest number of people. They specialize in medically complex patients with breathing problems and hold the distinction of being the only not-for-profit long-term care hospital in California. Esteemed honors include being dubbed a Passy-Muir Center of Excellence and receiving several AARC Quality Respiratory Care Awards.

In 2020, we installed two 50 kWh DCFCs on their property, each with CHAdeMO and CCS connectors and a customer-friendly interface powered by proprietary software technology that makes it easy to pay, charge, and track the status of your EV during the charging cycle. “It’s wonderful that we have these charging stations outside our hospital. We’re so pleased that they’re here. They’re just a natural extension of how we serve our patients,” says Julia Shimizu, Director of Public Relations for Barlow.

It was fairly soon after we completed the installation, however, that we began to notice a number of similarities between our two organizations:

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1) A Reliance on State-of-the-Art Technology

Both Barlow and EVCS utilize world-class science and tech for the advancement of humanity. The specific instruments may be different, but the end goal – creating a better quality of life for people – is essentially the same. “We specialize in ventilator weaning, which very simply is helping people regain the ability to breathe on their own after being on a ventilator,” explains Shimizu. “The ability to do that depends on cutting edge, top-of-the-line technology, just like making EVs and EV charging stations.” How true. Moreover, we’re both continuing to innovate so that we’re well-positioned to continue our missions into the 21st century.

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2) The Concern for Public Health

It’s no small coincidence that Barlow and EVCS are both fiercely committed to better respiratory conditions. Barlow has been on the front lines of the COVID pandemic doing what they’ve always done: helping people regain the ability to fill their own lungs with clean, fresh air. This dedication has led them to seek additional ways to serve the greatest number of people. “We’re actually preparing to build a new, state-of-the-art hospital that will allow us to use our topline respiratory technology to better serve our patients,” says Shimizu. EVCS is similarly looking to help folks breathe better, but by reducing carbon emissions through the expansion of clean fuel infrastructure. And we, too, are constantly seeking to expand our reach.

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3) Focus on Individual Customer Care

EVCS has always put the customer first. All the tech in the world is useless if a company doesn’t have a customer care team that gives you the personal attention you deserve. Well, Barlow is our kindred spirit in that regard as well. Patient-focused care is the hallmark of their institution and is driven by selfless, devoted employees who work behind the scenes, often without accolades or attribution, to advance the quality of life for countless individuals. Shimizu sums up the philosophy perfectly: “Our staff is really important to what we do because it’s the personal touch that makes the technology work so well.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

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To learn more about Barlow and the tremendous work they’re doing in helping Los Angeles recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit them here: https://www.barlowhospital.org/covid-19/

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Addressing Pain Points in Creating EV Infrastructure

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