Release: August 7, 2007
Contact: Martha Pendleton, Director Marketing & Planning
St. Edward Mercy Foundation Receives Additional Grant Money
On August 8th, at a ceremony to be held at St. Edward Mercy Medical Center, the St. Edward Mercy Foundation will be presented a $25,335 Minority Outreach Grant from the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff on behalf of the Fort Smith Coalition for Tobacco Education and Prevention, a program housed within the Cardiac Rehab Department at St. Edward Mercy Medical Center. This is the fourth year that the grant has been given by UAPB to support the Coalition’s efforts to educate minority residents about the dangers of tobacco use.
The UAPB Minority Grant is just one of twenty grants awarded to the St. Edward Mercy Foundation during the last twelve months. The St. Edward Mercy Foundation has received over $924,000 in grants, including the following:
Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation (Dallas, TX)
Amount: $40,000
Purpose: Establish a Telehealth Program for Mercy Home Health
Home health is a valuable service available to individuals who, though not requiring hospitalization, are in need of continual health assessment and monitoring. Regular in-home visits from healthcare professionals allow these patients to experience the freedom of living at home with the assurance that their access to healthcare service is not compromised. With available staff and patient load, the frequency of visits averages once to twice per week per patient. While this is sufficient to provide quality care for some patients, others need more frequent monitoring. To address this issue, Mercy Home Care asked the Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation to aid St. Edward Mercy in establishing a Telehealth Program providing remote, patient assisted monitoring of critical levels and functions through the use of telehealth units (in-home medical monitoring devices). This technology allows home care healthcare providers to more regularly examine the vital statistics related to patients and their conditions. Case studies of such programs indicate that implementing a Telehealth Program in conjunction with home care can help improve the quality of life of senior patients and preserve and promote their independence.
The Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation (Fayetteville, AR)
& the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Amount: $115,000 & $137,255 (respectively)
Purpose: Purchase Computed Radiography Equipment for St. Edward Mercy Health Network
The St. Edward Mercy Health Network includes three satellite hospitals: North Logan Mercy Hospital located in Paris, AR; Mercy Hospital of Scott County located in Waldron, AR; and Mercy Hospital/Turner Memorial located in Ozark, AR. Historically, x-rays have been shuttled from the facilities to St. Edward Mercy Medical Center for Radiologists to review. The acquisition of a computed radiography (CR) system and laser imager package for each of the facilities will allow for the instantaneous transmission of digital x-ray images from the satellite hospitals to SEMMC for interpretation. The satellite facilities will then have access to SEMMC’s Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) to store and archive the images. The implementation of this technology will…
• Lessen x-ray review turnaround time from 3 to 4 days to 1 day or less
• Ensure that rural patients, physicians and hospitals continue to have access to radiology services
• Provide rural family practitioners and emergency room physicians with the support needed to better diagnose, treat, and manage their patients
• Supply rural physicians with access to specialty consultation
The Ozark Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure (Springdale, AR)
Amount: $62,900
Program: To Save A Life
To Save a Life provides economically disadvantaged individuals full, free access to breast screening and diagnostic procedures as well as breast health education. Funds also allowed St. Edward Mercy to hire a Coordinator for the program. Nancy Hochmuth (314-5273) coordinates education efforts for the To Save a Life Program and serves as a patient advocate.
The Arkansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure (Little Rock, AR)
Amount: $21,500
Program: Expand St. Edward Mercy Health Network’s To Save A Life program
This grant allowed the educational component of the To Save a Life program to be expanded to the St. Edward Mercy Health Network’s three satellite hospitals: : North Logan Mercy Hospital located in Paris, AR; Mercy Hospital of Scott County located in Waldron, AR; and Mercy Hospital/Turner Memorial located in Ozark, AR.
Sisters of Mercy Health System (St. Louis)
Amount: $30,000
Program: Don W. Reynolds Cancer Support House A Support to Recovery program
The St. Edward Mercy Foundation also requested a grant on behalf of the Cancer Support House’s Support to Recovery program. A Support to Recovery assists cancer patients on their road to recovery, including meeting some of their most basic needs. It also provides support groups and counselors for cancer patients. The Mercy Caritas Grant supports organizations that share a mission consistent with that of Mercy.
According to Ron Cox, Executive Director of the St. Edward Mercy Foundation, “the focus that St. Edward Mercy places upon the community, and especially the poor, has been recognized and respected by numerous giving organizations. They appreciate our unique mission and the work we are doing to serve the healthcare needs of the River Valley region, and trust us to be good stewards of their resources.”
Mission of St. Edward Mercy Health Network:
Rooted in the mission of Jesus and the healing ministry of the Church, and faithful to Catherine McAuley's service tradition marked by justice, excellence, stewardship and respect for the dignity of each person, St. Edward Mercy implements and advocates innovative health and quality of life of communities served, with particular concern for people who are economically poor
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