Clinch County Hospital Authority

ARP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT UPGRADES AND MEDICAL TRANSPORT - CLINCH COUNTY HOSPITAL AUTHORITY, DOING BUSINESS AS CLINCH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, IS A 25-BED CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL LOCATED IN HOMERVILLE, GEORGIA. AS THE ONLY HOSPITAL IN CLINCH COUNTY, THE HOSPITAL PROVIDES ESSENTIAL HEALTHCARE SERVICES TO RESIDENTS OF CLINCH COUNTY AND SURROUNDING RURAL COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING ATKINSON, CHARLTON, ECHOLS, LANIER, AND PORTIONS OF WARE COUNTY. MANY RESIDENTS FACE BARRIERS TO HEALTHCARE, INCLUDING LONG TRAVEL DISTANCES, LIMITED TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, AND REDUCED ACCESS TO ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES. THROUGH COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING APPROPRIATED BY CONGRESS, CLINCH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WILL MODERNIZE ITS DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING SERVICES AND STRENGTHEN RURAL MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION BY PURCHASING A NEW COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) SCANNER, A 3D MAMMOGRAPHY SYSTEM, AND A HOSPITAL-OWNED AMBULANCE DEDICATED TO NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORT. THE HOSPITAL'S CURRENT CT SCANNER AND MAMMOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT HAVE EXCEEDED THEIR EXPECTED SERVICE LIFE AND REQUIRE INCREASING MAINTENANCE, RESULTING IN EQUIPMENT DOWNTIME AND LIMITATIONS IN DIAGNOSTIC CAPABILITIES. REPLACING THIS EQUIPMENT WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY WILL IMPROVE IMAGE QUALITY, SUPPORT EARLIER AND MORE ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS OF ILLNESS AND INJURY, REDUCE THE NEED FOR REPEAT IMAGING, AND EXPAND ACCESS TO PREVENTIVE BREAST CANCER SCREENING. PATIENTS WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE HIGH-QUALITY DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES CLOSER TO HOME, REDUCING UNNECESSARY TRAVEL TO LARGER CITIES FOR CARE. THE PROJECT ALSO ADDRESSES AN IMPORTANT EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES NEED. CLINCH COUNTY COVERS APPROXIMATELY 824 SQUARE MILES AND RELIES ON A SINGLE CONTRACTED AMBULANCE FOR 911 EMERGENCY RESPONSE. WHEN THAT AMBULANCE IS TRANSPORTING PATIENTS TO HOSPITALS OUTSIDE THE COUNTY, EMERGENCY COVERAGE MAY BE LIMITED UNTIL THE AMBULANCE RETURNS OR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. AN AMBULANCE DEDICATED TO SCHEDULED, NON-EMERGENCY PATIENT TRANSPORTATION WILL HELP KEEP THE COUNTY'S EMERGENCY AMBULANCE AVAILABLE FOR 911 CALLS WHILE IMPROVING ACCESS TO MEDICALLY NECESSARY TRANSPORTATION FOR PATIENTS REQUIRING SPECIALIZED CARE. DURING THE 12-MONTH PROJECT PERIOD, CLINCH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WILL PURCHASE, INSTALL, AND IMPLEMENT THE NEW IMAGING EQUIPMENT, PLACE THE AMBULANCE INTO SERVICE, AND PROVIDE STAFF TRAINING TO ENSURE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE OPERATION. THE PROJECT WILL IMPROVE ACCESS TO ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING, INCREASE PREVENTIVE BREAST CANCER SCREENING, SUPPORT EARLIER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT, REDUCE TRAVEL BURDENS FOR RURAL PATIENTS, STRENGTHEN EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE CAPACITY, AND IMPROVE THE OVERALL QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. THESE INVESTMENTS WILL ENHANCE ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND STRENGTHEN THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL HEALTHCARE DELIVERY IN THE COMMUNITIES SERVED BY CLINCH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.