Janet Cline has always been crafty. A quilter, she creates beautiful blankets for weddings and baby showers embroidered with dates and names. A recent quilt celebrated a new baby, gifted to a team member of Janet’s at Tryon Medical Partners Waverly.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Janet combined her crafting skills and caring heart, beginning to make facemasks for family and friends. Now, with nearly 200 face masks complete, even her co-workers at Tryon Waverly and other Tryon offices are wearing Janet’s creations.
“It makes patients feel more secure and safer when we’re all wearing masks,” says Janet, who has served on Tryon’s COVID-19 taskforce and been part of enacting new safety protocols for offices. “Patients appreciate that we’re working to keep them safe.”
When Janet looked at the upcoming appointment calendar, she saw a deaf patient would be coming to the office. She knew the patient relied on lip reading and jumped into action.
By creating custom masks with see-through panels for her and internal medicine specialist Dr. Daniel Aquino, Janet made sure their deaf patient could enter the office safely and be able to communicate.
Whether you’re purchasing a face mask or making your own like Janet, read Tryon’s Face Mask 101 for all the FAQs about the best fabric to use and what to look for in a mask.