Intermountain helps launch project to enlist volunteers in producing millions of medical-grade masks

Brady White Apr 17, 2020

A demonstration video shows volunteers how to make the medical-grade masks

Intermountain Healthcare is teaming up with University of Utah Health, Latter-day Saint Charities, and several Utah nonprofits and donors to lead an effort known as ProjectProtect. It will to enlist thousands of sewing volunteers to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline caregivers, including more than five million medical-grade masks.

The goal of ProjectProtect is to engage 10,000 volunteer sewers each week to produce more than five million medical-grade face masks that will be distributed to frontline health workers at Intermountain and University of Utah Health. The project is also helping produce more than 50,000 reusable face shields which are already being deployed to frontline caregivers for use while caring for patients. Volunteers are also being invited to sew homemade cloth face coverings for patients and community members.

“We’ve seen heart-wrenching stories of healthcare workers all over the world who are caring for COVID-19 patients without the protection they need and deserve,” says Tad Morley, vice president of outreach and network development at University of Utah Health. “We realized our regular supply chain couldn’t handle the demand and we didn’t want our frontline staff to face that same situation. So, we tapped into the resources based in the community to make sure caregivers were protected.”

Details for volunteers

Volunteers need the ability to follow detailed instructions and use a sewing machine. They need a sewing machine, thread, scissors, and pins. Material and instructions will be provided. Each volunteer will be asked to make 100 masks. To learn more and sign up as a volunteer, visit projectprotect.health. Volunteers are only being sought on the Wasatch Front right now, but other volunteer opportunities are being posted on justserve.org.

Dan Liljenquist, Intermountain’s senior vice president and chief strategy officer, helped put the pieces together to get the grass-roots initiative off the ground.

“ProjectProtect is an unprecedented community collaboration in response to a once-in-a-generation pandemic, and it represents the dedicated work of dozens of professionals and hundreds, soon to be thousands, of volunteers,” Dan says. “The principles of industry, volunteerism, and self-reliance run deep in Utah, and this initiative to locally manufacture personal protective equipment for frontline caregivers is a great example of that desire to help.”

Dan says the project currently has enough fabric for volunteers to make enough masks to last Intermountain and University of Utah caregivers at least 70 days. He says they're working to purchase more fabric to make additional masks.

Latter-day Saint Charities has worked with infectious disease experts at Intermountain and the University of Utah to create educational content and instructions for sewing the masks, while the Relief Society organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has tapped into its network of thousands of volunteers from around the world.

“This team, from multiple organizations and a variety of professions, has moved mountains to make ProjectProtect possible,” says Sharon Eubank, president of Latter-day Saint Charities and first counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. “If such a feat is possible anywhere in the world, it’s here in Utah. We’re so happy to be a part of this community effort.”

Since the idea for the ProjectProtect collaboration surfaced last month, experts from the three organizations have had daily meetings to work through the details. Then when the polypropylene fabric required to make the medical-grade masks arrived from manufacturers in China, the project kicked into high gear.

One of the many Utahns supporting this important initiative is Utah native and PGA Tour winner Tony Finau. “We’re proud to be a part of this, but more so, to help those on the frontlines of the crisis who are the true heroes,” Tony says. “We wanted to get involved in the most meaningful way possible and this project was the perfect way for us to help. The best thing is we’re not just asking for monetary donations — we’re asking for anyone willing and able to just give some time and skill. I invite all Utahns to help support this important community initiative.”

Many other philanthropists have also gotten involved to support the effort.

“ProjectProtect is garnering remarkable support from the community,” says David Flood, president of Intermountain Foundation. “The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation, through its founding executive Greg Cook, was the first to reach out and offer initial seed funding that allowed this historic project to take root. We’re very grateful to Greg and doTERRA, and to all the individuals and organizations whose generosity is fueling this important effort to protect our caregivers during this unprecedented health challenge.”

Sister Eubank says the church’s leaders at all levels have been very interested in understanding what the professionals need and then mobilizing their resources to help in the most impactful ways. She says church president Russell M. Nelson, MD, who is a retired heart surgeon and worked at LDS Hospital, tried on the prototype PPE equipment and was impressed by its quality.

“We’re grateful for Intermountain Healthcare and University of Utah Health for providing us with the specifications and guidance to help us devote our efforts in the most helpful way,” she says. “Here’s something very critical and very productive that each of us can do. Anyone can volunteer in this project and it will make a big difference.”

Another aspect of the project includes the production of reusable isolation gowns, which will be produced by Beehive Clothing — the church’s clothing manufacturing company. Sister Eubank says Beehive workers have put aside other work and reconfigured their workspace to produce the new gowns. The gowns will be given to healthcare workers across the state, including caregivers at skilled nursing facilities and other non-hospital locations.

She adds that the methods developed for this project will be deployed throughout the world through Latter-day Saint Charities to help healthcare workers in other areas of need around the globe.

“This project has involved dozens of partners across the state and we’re so grateful for all of the community resources and philanthropists that have come together to make this project a reality," Dan says. “We invite all who are able and willing to sew medical grade masks to join us as we work together to ensure that caregivers battling COVID-19 have the equipment they need to stay safe. Your personal contributions to this effort will help save lives.”

To learn more about ProjectProtect and to volunteer to sew masks, visit projectprotect.health. Find other volunteer opportunities on justserve.org.