Sewing Face Masks for Our Local Hospital

Raving’s very own Becky Conrad (retired and loving it) is busy making face masks for our local hospital Renown here in Reno, along with some friends and neighbors (all working from their separate homes). They are using a pattern on Facebook from the Phoebe Putney Health System. The design is made to fit over the N95 face masks.

Becky modeling one of her homemade face masks from her home in Reno, NV.

Becky shared, “A daughter of a friend of mine took some to work today; we’re just in the beginning phases. She works for an ambulance service but had talked to the hospital and they said they would use whatever we make. Right now, I have enough materials to make about 25 to 30.” Make that 50 or more! Our VP of Marketing Chris Faria just dropped her off a pile of material that has been, “sitting in my closet for the last 20 years, waiting for me to learn how to sew.”

According to the website Deacones Health System, “While fabric masks are not to be used in the care of COVID-19 patients, according to the CDC, fabric masks are a crisis response option when other supplies have been exhausted. Fabric masks can also be helpful in other areas of patient care as supplies of PPE are depleted.”

“Prior to modern disposable masks, washable fabric masks were standard use for hospitals,” said Dawn Rogers, MSN, RN, FNP-C, Patient Safety & Infection Prevention Office. “We will be able to sterilize these masks and use them repeatedly as needed. While it’s less than ideal, we want to do our best to protect our staff and patients during this pandemic.”

Interested in helping out? Here’s a link on to Deacones’ page to find organizations looking for masks.