YRMC gets $20K for needed equipment
Donation came from Hospital District #1 of Yuma County
After receiving funds in the amount of $20,760.58, Yuma Regional Medical Center will now be able to purchase various devices and tools to be utilized to enhance patient comfort and care.
YRMC’s news release stated that the Hospital District #1 of Yuma County recently presented the donation and check to the hospital.
According to the release, the funds will be used by YRMC to purchase the following:
• Video scope for throat examination (Emergency Department): $11,000
• Scales for weighing newborns (Labor and Delivery): $5,500
• Device for lifting maternity patients (Labor and Delivery): $2,147
• The purchase of wheelchairs (hospital wide): $2,024.58
Dorie Rush, director of Labor and Delivery at YRMC, explained that newborns should be weighed at the time of birth and again 24 hours following birth. At the time of birth, she said newborns are weighed in a warmed scale.
The hospital will be getting three new scales which are to be utilized in the Postpartum Department to weigh infants after the 24hour period.
She noted that it is “extremely important to have an accurate weight” to determine if the baby is eating enough and getting enough nourishment. The new scales will also have the ability to be connected to Wifi, so the infant’s weight information can flow directly to the hospital’s computer documentation system rather than being input manually.
The lifting devices, she noted, are a welcome addition as well. YRMC is expected to get two devices for lifting maternity patients.
“It’s exciting,” Rush said. “We haven’t’ had them before. They will primarily be used for women who have epidurals (a type of anesthesia). We stop the epidural right around the time of delivery, but the women’s legs can still be numb for several hours. When they stand up, we watch them carefully to see if they need assistance and to make sure that they do not fall.”
Rush said the hospital can use the devices to provide added support for the women. Additionally, Rush said the devices can be utilized for maternity patients who may have trouble walking following surgery.
“I think that it is fantastic that the district board was able to have these funds and to be able to utilize them for our needs,” Rush said. “It’s a great need and we are very appreciative.”
Along with the devices to be purchased for YRMC’s Labor and Delivery Department, the hospital will also obtain a video scope that can be used to help intubate — or insert a tube — into a patient to detect the source of throat or ear pain, diagnose difficulty in swallowing and detect injuries or obstructions in the throat or airway.
“The Hospital District board asked YRMC’s nurses and other care providers to identify some of the hospital’s current needs, items that were not covered by the normal budget, but that are certainly needed by patients,” said John Minore, board vice-chairman in a statement. “The District Board is pleased to know that these purchases will touch the lives of countless Yuma County residents when they receive care at our hospital.”
The Hospital District #1 of Yuma County owns the YRMC property. Established in 1956, the district currently leases the hospital campus to YRMC, which is a private non-profit corporation.
YRMC’s release stated that while the district has the authority to collect tax, no tax has ever been collected and the hospital relies solely on patient revenues for funding.
The board, comprised of five members elected by popular vote, includes all of Yuma County except a small area through Hyder. It’s purpose is to provide for the operation and maintenance of the hospital facilities and assure it operates in the best interest of the residents of the district, the release stated.