1 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9
O
f the many ways to
reuse blue steriliza-
tion wrap, here's
one you might not have con-
sidered: sew a couple sheets
together to make a sleeping
mat for homeless people who
might be sleeping on cement
or on cardboard. Blue wrap
is the ideal material for a
portable bedroll. It's durable
and waterproof, and it
retains heat. Plus, as we all
know, it's plentiful in the operating room.
To get started, you'll need 2 sheets of 4-by-4-foot blue wrap, scissors, a
sewing machine, all-purpose dark-colored thread and elastic bands so
you can roll up and carry the finished product like a yoga mat. This
YouTube video provides a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make a
mat: osmag.net/zE2BNc. It's an easy and fun do-it-yourself project for
your staff. It takes about 30 minutes to complete each
1
⁄8-inch thick mat.
Over 3 years, our team has made and donated about 100 mats (and
counting) and diverted about 12,000 pounds of blue wrap from the
waste stream. We give the mats to the local police department, so offi-
cers can distribute them to the homeless on the streets. I've also
handed out the mats to grateful people in tent cities near our hospital.
It's a truly humbling and incredibly rewarding experience.
Dana Scarangelli, ST
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital
CHARITABLE ACTS
Blue Wrap Bed Rolls for the Homeless
• BLUE WRAP SLEEPING MATS Rather than throwing
away mounds of blue wrap, Dana Scarangelli, ST (center),
and her colleagues at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in
Camden, N.J., make waterproof mats for the homeless in
their community.
Our
Lady
of
Lourdes
Hospital
Camden, N.J.
dana.scarangelli@gmail.com
Ideas Work
That
