Northeast Georgia Medical Center Inc

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION

RURAL HOSPITAL PROVIDER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - NORTHEAST GEORGIA MEDICAL CENTER HABERSHAM, LLC REQUESTS FUNDING THROUGH THE HRSA RURAL HOSPITAL PROVIDER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO SUPPORT THE MAINTENANCE OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN THE RURAL HOSPITAL SETTING. NGMC HABERSHAM SERVES PATIENTS IN A RURAL COMMUNITY WHERE MAINTAINING LOCAL ACCESS TO TIMELY DIAGNOSTIC, EMERGENCY, SURGICAL, AND OBSTETRIC SUPPORT SERVICES IS IMPORTANT TO SUSTAINING CARE CLOSE TO HOME. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL USE FUNDS AT THE INDIVIDUAL HOSPITAL LEVEL TO STRENGTHEN BLOOD BANK LABORATORY CAPACITY AND IMPROVE ACCESS TO EMERGENCY BLOOD AND FLUID RESUSCITATION EQUIPMENT. SPECIFICALLY, THE HOSPITAL WILL PURCHASE AN AUTOMATED BLOOD BANK IMMUNOHEMATOLOGY ANALYZER SYSTEM WITH REQUIRED ACCESSORIES AND FIRST-YEAR EQUIPMENT-RELATED SERVICE, AS WELL AS AN ADDITIONAL RAPID BLOOD AND FLUID WARMING INFUSER SYSTEM. THESE EQUIPMENT INVESTMENTS WILL SUPPORT HOSPITAL OPERATIONS THAT ARE DIRECTLY TIED TO ESSENTIAL PATIENT CARE SERVICES. THE AUTOMATED BLOOD BANK IMMUNOHEMATOLOGY ANALYZER SYSTEM WILL HELP IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY, ACCURACY, AND TURNAROUND TIME OF BLOOD BANK TESTING. BY AUTOMATING KEY IMMUNOHEMATOLOGY TESTING FUNCTIONS, THE SYSTEM WILL SUPPORT TIMELY TYPE-AND-SCREEN AND CONFIRMATORY BLOOD-TYPE TESTING, IMPROVE LABORATORY WORKFLOW, AND ALLOW LABORATORY STAFF TO FOCUS ON COMPLEX TESTING AND OTHER PATIENT CARE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES THAT CANNOT BE AUTOMATED. THE RAPID BLOOD AND FLUID WARMING INFUSER SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE CRITICAL REDUNDANCY AND IMPROVE IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO RAPID DELIVERY OF WARMED BLOOD AND FLUIDS FOR PATIENTS EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT BLOOD LOSS OR OTHER EMERGENCIES REQUIRING HIGH-VOLUME RESUSCITATION. THIS EQUIPMENT WILL SUPPORT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND PATIENT SAFETY BY REDUCING DEPENDENCE ON A SINGLE SHARED DEVICE ACROSS MULTIPLE CLINICAL AREAS, INCLUDING THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, OPERATING ROOM, AND OBSTETRICS. TOGETHER, THESE ACTIVITIES WILL HELP NGMC HABERSHAM MAINTAIN ESSENTIAL RURAL HOSPITAL SERVICES, SUPPORT CARE DELIVERY BY LOCAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, AND REDUCE THE NEED FOR PATIENTS TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY FOR SERVICES THAT CAN BE SAFELY AND APPROPRIATELY SUPPORTED LOCALLY. ALL REQUESTED FUNDS WILL BE USED AT THE INDIVIDUAL HOSPITAL LEVEL AND WILL SUPPORT THE PROGRAM GOAL OF MAINTAINING HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES.