Micron is an integral part of the community in Boise, Idaho. I asked Scott DeBoer, executive vice president of Technology and Products and Boise site leader, how our Idaho teams are keeping each other safe and making a difference in their local communities as we address the challenges of COVID-19.

DeBoer explained how, as part of a global research and development operation, we’ve been tracking the virus and used lessons we’ve learned from other sites to keep our Idaho team members safe and healthy without losing momentum or undermining our critical infrastructure during this pandemic.

I asked him how we have helped communities in Boise and across Idaho, where Micron has a significant presence. DeBoer said that, as site leader, he has had many team member ideas hit his inbox — in the spirit of volunteering and ingenuity — which seems to be the Boise way.

For instance, his engineers built and delivered a prototype plastic bed shield, designed to allow medical teams to safely care for patients, to a local hospital within 24 hours of seeing something similar on television. As a result, we’re now shipping shields to hospitals across Idaho. Micron is also delivering thermal scanners to hospitals and police departments and training them how to use the devices.

And what have we learned from moving thousands of people from on-site to working from home almost overnight? DeBoer said we’ve discovered that it’s possible to be more connected than ever before without leaving our homes. DeBoer puts it down to communicating intentionally rather than relying on opportunistic conversations arising from physical proximity.

And what about him personally? “Many people absolutely hate working from home. I’m certainly one of them!” But one thing is for certain: We’ve all learned that we can work efficiently in ways we never thought possible. It’s going to change the way we do business after this pandemic is over.

You can learn more about how Micron is supporting our worldwide communities at www.micron.com/covid-19.