Rural hospitals receive $200,000 in technology grants


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SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, November 13, 2008
CONTACT: Tom Martinec, (605) 773-6748
 
Rural hospitals receive $200,000 in technology grants
 
PIERRE, S.D. – Fourteen rural hospitals will receive $194,766 in grants for technology projects from electronic health records training to a medication dispensing system., Gov. Mike Rounds announced today.  
“Keeping pace with the rapid changes in health care technology is essential for all providers but it can be a challenge for rural facilities with more limited resources,” said the Governor. “We’re pleased to provide this funding to help support technology projects in rural facilities.”
The grant funding comes to the Department of Health through the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program. With these latest grants, South Dakota has awarded $3,125,947 to rural hospitals through the program over the last eight years.
To be eligible, hospitals must have received a Medicare certification as a Critical Access Hospital (CAH). Hospitals certified as CAHs receive a higher Medicare reimbursement rate and are eligible for grant funding for projects to enhance information systems and increase staff training and education. South Dakota currently has 37 critical access hospitals.
 Hospitals receivinggrants in 2008 include:
 
  • Sanford CAHs – implement a collaborative electronic health records system training project with laptops, training software, and related peripherals (routers, docking stations, etc):
    • Canton – Canton-Inwood Memorial Hospital ($15,000)
    • Chamberlain – Sanford Mid-Dakota Medical Center ($15,000)
    • Vermillion – Sanford Vermillion Medical Center ($15,000)
    • Viborg – Pioneer Memorial Hospital ($15,000)
    • Webster – Sanford Hospital Webster ($15,000)
  • Deadwood – Lead-Deadwood Regional Hospital ($8,000) – implement nurse call system that incorporates on-person devices to allow nurses to respond from station on one floor to patients on another floor.
  • DeSmet – Avera DeSmet Memorial Hospital ($15,000) – develop an electronic medical record system for lab, patient care, and blood bank using Meditech modules.
  • Faulkton – Faulkton Area Medical Center ($5,000) – purchase laptops and webinar tuition to provide distance learning for continuing education of nursing staff.  
  • Freeman – Freeman Regional Health Services ($15,000) – develop an electronic medical record system for lab, patient care, and blood bank using Meditech modules.  
  • Huron – Huron Regional Medical Center ($15,000) – install medication dispensing system in ICU, OB, Med/Surgery, Operating Room/Anesthesia, Same Day Surgery, Recovery Room, and the ER. 
  • Martin – Bennett County Hospital ($11,766) – upgrade information system to provide capacity for future electronic medical records and medication management projects.
  • Mobridge – Mobridge Regional Hospital ($15,000) – develop medication dispensing system on medical/surgical floor.
  • Tyndall – St. Michael’s Hospital ($20,000) – establish nursing workforce development/recruitment collaborative project with other CAHs (Milbank Area Hospital, Dells Area Health Center, and Flandreau Medical Center).
  • Winner – Winner Regional Hospital ($15,000) – install electronic medical records modules in the pharmacy, radiology, and mammography departments.
Sustaining essential healthcare services in rural areas is a key objective of the department’s Health 2010 Initiative.