Nonprofit Project MEND Uses SteraMist to Disinfect Reused DME

FREDERICK, Maryland—TOMI Environmental Solutions, Inc., a provider of disinfection and decontamination solutions, announced that Project MEND has implemented SteraMist iHP. Project MEND is a San Antonio-based nonprofit that refurbishes and redistributes used medical equipment to people with disabilities and limited financial resources. The system has helped Project MEND’s team disinfect reusable durable medical equipment (DME), including wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds and mobility aids, before it is returned to service for a new recipient.

Founded in 1992 and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1993, Project MEND, short for medical equipment network for those with disabilities, has spent more than three decades refurbishing and redistributing donated medical equipment across the San Antonio community. In 2024 alone, the organization served 2,683 clients and distributed 6,244 pieces of equipment, including wheelchairs, power chairs, walkers, hospital beds, Hoyer lifts, scooters, shower chairs, rollators, commodes, trapezes and tub transfer benches, while keeping an estimated 74 tons of scrap metal out of area landfills.

Every piece of equipment that comes through Project MEND has a previous owner, and many recipients are older adults, children or individuals with compromised health who depend on that equipment being fully clean before it enters their home. TOMI said SteraMist meets that need by reaching the frames, wheels, upholstery and hard-to-access joints of mobility equipment without damaging vinyl, foam, electronics or metal components, a fit well suited to the wide range of equipment Project MEND handles daily.

“Every wheelchair, walker and hospital bed we redistribute has to meet the same standard of safety as new equipment,” said Dexter Moon, chief operations officer at Project MEND. “SteraMist iHP gives our team a faster, more thorough way to disinfect equipment before it reaches the families who need it.”

Project MEND introduced SteraMist to community members at the Houston Ability Expo earlier this year, where SteraMist disinfection was demonstrated alongside Project MEND’s inventory of refurbished wheelchairs and mobility devices.

“Project MEND has been an exceptional partner,” said Brittany Buchman, vice president of marketing at TOMI Environmental Solutions. “They’ve showcased SteraMist at multiple conferences this year, helping build awareness across their community. We are continuing that work together through additional initiatives, because every durable medical equipment (DME) provider should know how SteraMist can help them safeguard the people they serve.”