Health Care District Distributes Masks in the Glades and Hospital Staff Receive Mask Donation

Many residents in the Glades are wearing colorful masks that they received at the free food distribution event at South Bay City Hall on Friday, May 16th.  As families from across the rural, western region opened their car doors for volunteers to load up donated canned goods and fresh produce that day, members of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County’s Community Engagement team made their own special delivery.  The team provided hundreds of free face masks handmade by the District’s School Nurses and flyers with COVID-19 prevention tips in English, Spanish and Creole.

“We are sharing the important message in the Glades that staying healthy and safe during these unprecedented times means wearing face masks, washing hands and practicing social distancing,” said Thomas Cleare, PhD, MBA, Assistant Vice President of Planning and Community Engagement for the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. “Our goal is that this trilingual outreach promotes a better understanding of these health safety measures so more people adopt them.”

The use of facemasks and other personal protective equipment is required for staff at the Health Care District’s acute care teaching hospital, Lakeside Medical Center.  On Monday, May 18th, Florida Crystals Corporation delivered 2,000 surgical masks to the Belle Glade hospital. The masks were distributed to staff across all departments at the hospital, which is now scheduling elective surgeries like colonoscopies and wound care. The donation came exactly one week after Florida Crystals and Hundley Farms delivered boxes of locally grown produce for each of the hospital’s 170 employees.

“During this pandemic, protective masks are a necessity for all of our healthcare professionals and support staff at Lakeside Medical Center,” said Janet D. Moreland, ARNP, MSN, LHRM, Lakeside Medical Center’s Executive Director. “We appreciate the generosity of Florida Crystals Corporation as the masks will help us deliver safe, quality care to our patients.”

“We thank Florida Crystals for supporting our dedicated hospital employees who are working hard to keep our community healthy,” added Commissioner Tammy Jackson-Moore, who represents the Glades region on the Health Care District Board and also serves as a Glades community advocate.

“At Florida Crystals, we continue to seek ways we can support the Glades communities during this crisis, and providing resources to the hospital is integral in that mission,” said Caroline Villanueva, Florida Crystals’ South Florida External and Community Affairs Manager. “The heart of our operations is in the Glades, where many of our employees also live, and we are committed to doing all we can to help."