The missing ultrasound machine caper, or an Easter Story

Early in January of 2021 our Knights of Columbus Council Life Director, Juan Santos was looking for a volunteer for the life ultrasound program. My background, being in radar systems for the military, I thought it might be something I could relate to, so I signed up.

We are from Bedford Texas and are the St Anthony the Miracle Worker Council 7641. Those not familiar with the ultrasound project need to realize that paperwork is the first step in the process. We located the prefect facility that was approved by the Church and near our Council and the process began. Looking back, this was the easy part.

Mid Cities Women’s Clinic (MCWC) of Euless Texas was our choice. They selected a portable ultrasound unit from the Philips Ultrasound Division. K of C Supreme Council reviewed our application and gave us approval to begin raising money to purchase the device. Two local councils in our area agreed to join us in matching one-third of the funds needed. The complete unit cost $24,000 with the Supreme Council providing matching funds, requiring each council to supply $4,000 each. Without their support this story ends here. But Good Shephard Counsel 15789 of Colleyville and Council 11862 of St. Michael the Archangel of Garland, Texas joined us. The Grand Knights and Life program chairmen from these councils put their effort into making the funding happen. Once the money was collected, we received the matching funds from Supreme.

Philips Healthcare has teamed up with the Knights of Columbus to do their part in supplying the select machines to supply to women’s clinics throughout the States. Scott Pearson was our Representative and he was always eager to help out in every aspect to complete the process, even when he had to do some detective work.

The machine was ordered, built and delivered from Philips to their contracted shipping carrier. That’s when things went South, and events went from rosy to mysterious.

The normal timeline for delivery is based on the Philips company receiving the funds and a signed quote from the purchaser. This is the official start of the order process. Historically it takes 6 weeks to have the unit ordered and built. The unit is then handed off to their contracted shipping carrier. The time for that is a week to 10 days.

Philips received the go ahead on November 29, 2021. Based on the projected timeline the unit should be delivered early to mid-February. The Philips Rep. contacted the clinic on February 2^nd and said that the unit should arrive the next week. That never happened.

During the end of February, the clinic contacted Philips and reported the unit had still not arrived as expected. On March 3rd I received an email from the executive director of the women’s clinic. It was not good news. She said: Yesterday, I spoke with Scott at Phillips Ultrasound and he let me know that the shipping company they work with to transport these machines was the victim of a cyber-attack. Their systems have been hacked and they have no way of knowing whether our portable “sono” machine is on a truck, on its way to us, or in a warehouse somewhere. As soon as they are able to get back online, they will give us an ETA. There is also a chance it is en route to us and we could receive it any day.

Well, as time passed hope dwindled and the worst was realized. The unit was in limbo with no clues to its where-abouts. It may even have been stolen!

We got hope on April 1^st when we received notification from Scott that the Ultrasound had been located and the carrier should be contacting us for delivery soon.

Then again, we heard a report on the 4^th, that the unit was on its way to Dallas. That did not happen, so the waiting continued.

On April 13^th we still had no news updates. But on the next day, April 14^th, Holy Thursday the clinic received a message from the carrier that the unit was in Dallas but because of the holidays the unit will not be delivered until Easter Monday. Finally, the unit did arrive on Easter Monday, so in some ways we had our own “resurrection”!

Philips’s representatives arrived to the job site shortly after the unit had been delivered to verify the equipment is intact and working properly. Then they provide training to the clinicians who will be using the system.

On May 21, some of the members of the councils instrumental in the procurement of the ultrasound machine were honored at a brunch given by the Mid Cities Women’s Clinic. We were only a small part of the groups being recognized for helping out this facility. This monthly event was attended by over forty supporters during the May event. This is evidence of the community support for the clinic’s devotion to saving young lives.

Currently the MCWC is deeply into the funding project of a medical van where the ultrasound unit will eventually be located. This will allow the clinic to go into local critical need areas.

Members of the MCWC, Knight of Columbus and the formally missing Machine. Left to Right: GK Joe Martinez Council 7641, MCWC Development and Marketing Denise Epp, GK John Borske Council 15789, Ultrasound Chairman Tom Jones Council 7641, Life Director Juan Santos Council 7641, MCWC Executive Director Michell Gregory, and MCWC Senior Director of Clinic Operations Rachael Moore.