COVID-19 Checkup: Local Businesses Repair Elastic Bands on Masks for Use at Marian Regional Medical Center

Essential N95 masks are being repaired for by health care staff

SANTA MARIA, CA – April 21, 2020 – Local businesses, Poor Richard’s Press and Safran Seats, are working to replace defective elastic bands on 175,000 masks so that they can be used to protect patients and health care staff at Marian Regional Medical Center. 

Marian Regional Medical Center received the masks from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department. While the masks were functional, the elastic bands that held them in place were defective. 

“We have a longstanding partnership with Marian Regional Medical Center, so when we heard they had a need for restoration of these critical masks, we were on board to assist in any we could,” says Todd Ventura, president and owner of Poor Richard’s Press. “We are working diligently to repair them so they are back in the hands of the health care staff that need them.”

The repair effort has been underway for more than a week, with masks being returned to the hospital as repairs are complete. Given the quantity of masks received, the repair effort is expected to continue for several weeks. 

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department has provided multiple shipments of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Marian Regional Medical Center. There have been no other defects. 

Please contact Sara San Juan at [email protected] or (805) 739-3574 for additional information or for assistance facilitating an interview. 

[Photos: Top Left and Right - Safran Seats employees repair masks. Bottom Left - Marian Regional Medical Center delivers masks for repair. Bottom Right - Poor Richard's Press employee repairs masks.]

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Marian Regional Medical Center
Marian Regional Medical Center, located in Santa Maria, California, is rated among the top 10% in the nation for cardiac care and its cancer program is distinguished as the only comprehensive Community Cancer Center on the Central Coast. The need to meet the demand for quality, technologically-advanced care for a growing community led Marian to open its doors to a new state-of-the-art, 191-bed facility in the spring of 2012. The new facility houses the largest and most comprehensive perinatology/neonatology service providing the most compassionate, quality care to the littlest of patients. Marian is a Dignity Health member of the Central Coast, which also includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, CA and French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, CA. Dignity Health of the Central Coast is an integrated network of top quality hospitals, physicians from the most prestigious medical schools, and comprehensive outpatient services including primary care offices, premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers and a full service home health agency; all recognized for quality, safety and service. Each hospital is supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to help meet the growing health care needs of our communities.