Kaiser Permanente MDs bring joy to new moms at Watsonville Hospital

A group of eight Kaiser Permanente doctors recently stitched up a storm creating 22 blankets and burp cloths for new moms at Watsonville Community Hospital.

Volunteering their time, these employees from the Kaiser Permanente Santa Cruz-Central Coast service area were thrilled to be able to give back to the communities they serve in a very special way.

They call themselves the “Kaiser Permanente Santa Cruz County Sewing Divas” and spend about a month creating the comfy blankets. The doctors pay for the materials themselves and stage a sewing area in a temporarily unused area of the Kaiser Permanente Scotts Valley medical office. They use their own sewing machines to create their masterpieces.

The blankets are made with soft material, lined with colorful patterns, and showcase children’s themes and images. When completed, bilingual labels are ironed on, and they pack them in decorative shopping bags for the trip to Watsonville Community Hospital.

“It was a win-win,” said Nilda Moreno, MD, who organized the project and recruited the “sewing divas.” “We know many of the patients at Watsonville Community Hospital had needs, and for our Kaiser Permanente sewing doctors, it was a wonderful team-building project.”

Kaiser Permanente has partnered with the Watsonville hospital since 2017. Hospital officials said they were overjoyed with the colorful blankets as they watched the smiles from the postpartum moms.

Multiple families sent blessings and gratitude to the “costureras” (seamstresses).

Moreno, of the Kaiser Permanente Watsonville Medical Office, says another blanket-sewing project will start soon.