TEMPE, AZ — A Tempe fashion hub is sewing medical gowns for one the state's largest health providers.
Dignity Health has partnered with F.A.B.R.I.C. (Fashion And Business Resource Innovation Center) to sew reusable isolation gowns for health care workers.
"Dignity Health and a number of other health care providers was running low on gowns," said Linda Hunt, CEO of Arizona Hospitals for Dignity Health before asking the National Guard to help find material.
After an extensive search for material, Dignity Health finally found the fabric needed for the gowns in North Carolina. The Arizona National Guard retrieved more than 50,000 yards of fabric for both Banner Health and Dignity Health on Friday.
Dignity Health partnered with F.A.B.R.I.C., an apparel manufacturing site in Tempe, to turn 20,000 yards of the material into reusable isolation gowns.
"Our friends and familes are health care providers, this is our community, and this is our expertise to design, develop and manufacturing, why won't we jump in?" said Sherri Barry, Co-Founder F.A.B.R.I.C.
The gown was designed by Dignity Health Surgeon Dr. Ronald Gagliano.
"They're gonna be protected as they need it right now in order to not get this virus and bring it home to their family," said Dr. Gagliano. "This it to the health care worker what the body armor is the soldier."
Barry said F.A.B.R.I.C. can produce 500 FDA-gowns for in an eight-hour period, and is providing 8,500 isolation gowns for Dignity Health.
