MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare of Moses Lake has joined a growing list of health care providers across the country turning to volunteers to bolster hospital supplies with homemade facemasks and other donated protective equipment.

Responding to an outpouring of requests from community members looking to contribute to the fight against the novel coronavirus, Samaritan in consultation with county health officials began accepting the homemade equipment Friday.

“With enhanced media coverage surrounding the nation-wide shortage of (Personal Protective Equipment), local community members were looking for a way to help,” wrote Gretchen Youngren, executive director of development and communication at Samaritan, in an email.

Like health care providers and first responders across the country, Samaritan has faced a shortage of masks, forcing staff to reuse masks until they are soiled, according to chief nursing officer Janet Sternberg. Though Sternberg stated that Samaritan is following CDC guidelines for reuse, those guidelines note that there are potentially increased risks of infection.

Samaritan’s supply of N95 respirator masks and isolation gowns has been bolstered in the last week by donations, including a recent donation from REC Silicon of 1,000 pieces of protective gear. Still, Samaritan officials stated that the provider still needs more.

“We are extremely grateful for these donations, but know that we must continue to conserve resources as much as possible during the nationwide shortage,” Youngren wrote.

Homemade masks would be used to ensure all patients are equipped with a mask, Youngren added. Staff will be issued industry-standard masks when feasible, but may use homemade masks when other supplies are not available.

All fabric for personal protective equipment should be 100 percent cotton, Samaritan wrote on social media. For more information on how to make the masks, watch a how-to video at bit.ly/39bhW2b or visit Samaritan’s Facebook page.