band
date: label: date made
content: 2020
notes: label: Description
content: This 3-D printed band was created during the Covid-19 pandemic to make wearing the strap of face masks more comfortable and donated to Mary’s Center, a federally-qualified community health center based in Washington, DC, by the family of one of the center’s medical assistants who had helped establish its respiratory clinic.
label: Description
content: The Covid-19 pandemic emerged in the US in the winter/spring of 2020, and to prevent its spread, many people wore face coverings. The staff at Mary’s Center, like the personnel of other medical institutions, wore face masks for many hours a day and found that the straps caused chafing and discomfort, particularly around the ears. The husband of a Mary’s Center medical assistant recognized the problem and, while spending much of his time at home due to the pandemic disruptions, he innovated to create and produce bands such as this one. The band has three different degrees to allow wearers to adjust it.
label: Description
content: Mary’s Center, a community health center in Washington, DC, was founded in 1988 by nurse Maria Gomez, who had immigrated from Colombia to the United States as a teenager in the 1960s. Gomez founded the center to serve pregnant Latina immigrants. In many cases, the women had become pregnant as a result of sexual assault during their migration journeys. Over time, the center has expanded to serve children, families, and a diverse patient population by providing health care, education, and social services. Initially housed in a basement in Adams Morgan, the center, as of 2022, has multiple locations in Washington, DC, and Maryland and serves around 65,000 patients a year. It has become a nationally recognized health center for underserved communities.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place used
content: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
topic: label: associated subject
content: Infectious diseases
label: associated subject
content: COVID-19 (Disease)
label: associated subject
content: Public Health
label: associated subject
content: 2019-nCoV disease
label: associated subject
content: Disease prevention
label: associated subject
content: 2019 novel coronavirus disease
label: related event
content: COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2023
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Philanthropy
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2021.0197.3
label: accession number
content: 2021.0197
label: catalog number
content: 2021.0197.3
objectType: label: Object Name
content: band
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 cm x 18.3 cm x .02 cm; 1 3/16 in x 7 7/32 in x in