La-Z-Boy donates face masks to hospital

SILOAM SPRINGS — La-Z-Boy donated 10,000 face masks to local health care providers during a ceremony at Siloam Springs Regional Hospital on Wednesday.

The cloth masks were given to Siloam Springs Regional Hospital and will be used there and distributed to the four other hospitals in the Northwest Health System network as well as Community Clinic, according to a news release from the hospital. They were made by the La-ZBoy plant in Saltillo, Mexico, then shipped to La-Z-Boy’s U.S. plants for distribution to employees and their respective communities, according to Daren Davison, La-Z-Boy regional general manager.

Of the 10,000 masks, 500 will be going to Community Clinic in Siloam Springs,. Community Clinic expressed a need and Davison and Adam Bracks, CEO of the hospital, were happy to help, according to the release.

The four other hospitals in the Northwest Health System network are Northwest Health Physicians’ Specialty Hospital; Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville; Northwest Medical Center-Springdale; and Willow Creek Women’s Hospital.

The event took place at 9 a.m. in front of the main entrance of the hospital and was attended by key team members of La-Z-Boy and Northwest Health Systems, including Davison, Bracks and Denten Park, market CEO of Northwest Health.

“Local businesses and our community members have been so kind in showing their support for their local hospitals and especially the team members working there,” Park said.

As the covid-19 virus began spreading in the area, Davison, who is also on the hospital board, spoke with Bracks about how La-Z-Boy could help. Davison mentioned La-Z-Boy was producing face masks and asked if the hospital wanted to request any, according to the release.

“It’s a true blessing to be able to get to do stuff like this for a local community … and we’re proud to continue to do that for the heroes at the front line,” Davison said.

The hospital resumed elective surgeries Monday, according to Maria Wleklinski, chief nursing officer for the hospital. Wleklinski said the hospital needs to be prepared if there is an upcoming surge of covid-19 patients. The cloth masks will increase access to masks for staff members who do not interact with patients directly, Wleklinski said.

“We can’t thank La-Z-Boy enough for this generous donation,” Wleklinski said.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Ben Goff) Mike Wilmon (left), Paul Dilbeck and Neil Erter with La-Z-Boy unload boxes of masks Wednesday at Siloam Springs Regional Hospital. La-Z-Boy, which operates a plant in Siloam Springs, donated 10,000 masks to Northwest Health to be used at all five of the system’s hospitals in Northwest Arkansas as well as their covid-19 testing centers.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Ben Goff) Denten Park (left), market chief executive officer for Northwest Health; Adam Bracks, Northwest Health chief executive officer for Siloam Springs Regional Hospital and Physicians’ Specialty Hospital in Fayetteville; and state Rep. Robin Lundstrum, R-District 87, talk Wednesday at Siloam Springs Regional Hospital.