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Horizon Health Foundation recently received two grants of $2,800 from Springs Area Community Foundation and South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) for a combined gift of $5,600. This investment has been used to purchase two vital carts for Horizon Health Care’s Jerauld County Community Health Center in Wessington Springs.
The vital carts, also known as “Nurse on Wheels” are a secure easy-to-use, medical device that provides accurate vital sign measurement including blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen saturation. The device connects wirelessly to the organization’s Electronic Medical Records and sends vitals to the patient chart from the point of care to help improve efficiency. The Nurse on Wheels allows nurses to ‘room’ a patient and multi-task. This equipment can provide a complete set of vitals within 15 seconds, which improves staff workflow efficiencies and provides better diagnosis accuracy.
“Having extra vital carts in the clinic is extremely beneficial to more effectively move patients through the clinic in a safe and timely manner,” said Meghan Torgerson, CNP, Jerauld County Community Health Center provider. “Currently, with the lag in waiting for the equipment to be safely cleaned and turn over for the next patient’s use per COVID-19 guidelines, we often have patients waiting in the waiting room or their vehicles. These carts will help support the care we provide.”
Additionally, the dental team also uses a “Nurse on Wheels” cart to recheck abnormal blood pressures that found during routine dental care.
South Dakota Community Foundation is a public nonprofit organization established in 1987. SDCF, with offices in Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Aberdeen administers over 980 funds benefiting hundreds of charitable organizations annually. SDCF distributed nearly $18 million in grants in 2019 which made a tremendous difference in communities statewide. Locally, SDCF has invested in Horizon Health Care’s patients and employees numerous times in the past year, through the Foundation’s Coronavirus Relief efforts, Employee Emergency Fund, and equipment needed in other local Horizon clinics.
About Horizon Health Foundation
The Horizon Health Foundation was established in 2016 to ensure rural health care access to those in need and provide funding for Horizon Health Care. Horizon Health Foundation, a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation, seeks through responsible activities to encourage and derive sustaining gift support from current and for patients and interested friends, including corporate entities. The Horizon Health Foundation, operating in coordination with Horizon Health Care, is the duly designated fundraising arm for Horizon Health Care. In the broadest sense, the purpose of the Foundation is to create an awareness of the financial needs of Horizon Health Care, which are not provided by patient charges and to systematically implement plans by which dollar needs can be met.
About Horizon Health Care
For over 40 years, Horizon Health Care has been providing personalized, affordable, high-quality medical, dental and behavioral health care through a rural, community-based network in South Dakota. Horizon is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that serves the medical, dental and mental health care needs of South Dakotans in rural, medically underserved areas through 110,000 patient visits annually in 32 community health centers in: Aberdeen, Alcester, Bison, Bryant, De Smet, Eagle Butte, Elk Point, Faith, Fort Thompson, Howard, Huron, Isabel, La Plant, Lake Preston, Martin, McIntosh, Mission, Plankinton, Wessington Springs, White River, Woonsocket, and Yankton. For more information please visit www.horizonhealthcare.org.