VCOM View Vol 10 No 1

trying to do whatever we can to help,” said Matt Hull.

material from the hospital, and it has been shown that four layers to be relatively protective against small particle penetration. The material is being recycled from the hospital and decreases the cost for the mask group. The H600 material is used to wrap instrument trays in the Operating Room (OR) and is thrown away during standard OR cases. It is sterile and clean when removed from the tray and has been collected for Dr. Kessel by the OR staff at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. “Doing a small number of cases, we generate two garbage bags of material in one to two days

(not everyone remembers to save it),” said Dr. Kessel. Once there is enough material to donate, Dr. Kessel meets people at the Park & Ride at exit 118 or 140 to give garbage bags full of H600 to the mask group. “The other day, I snagged a mask that Tiffany was working on and drove up I-81 to meet Dr. Kessel to hand off the masks and to get more material. Then I met up with Robin to give her the material and now she’s taking it out and distributing it. I think Tiffany has a pretty good source of material through VCOM and through the local hospitals. It’s all just one big collaboration of just

Through the many different pieces when they are put together, it completes the puzzle. It is not a competition of who can sew the most masks or who can create the best prototype. It is a joining of minds to help those in need during the COVID-19 crisis. People such as these mentioned are why healthcare workers can continue to get up and go to work every day. “The answer is not throwing money at the problem, it is putting time into the problem,” said Dr. Carpenetti. ■

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