Truman Ambulance secures rare equipment through FCH grant
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TRUMAN - The Fairmont Community Hospital (FCH) Foundation has granted Truman Ambulance $15,000 for a bariatric cot, a rarity in southern Minnesota.
Truman Ambulance Assistant Director Matt Lange said the system can lift and hold up to 1,600 pounds.
"It’s a ramp and winch system," he said. "It’s got two ramps and then a winch system that mounts in the cab that allows us to safely bring a patient into the ambulance. Cot-wise, with a stretcher, it’s actually a wider stretcher. It’s a manual stretcher, so there is no lifting of the stretcher. It stays in the lowest position. We’re able to get the patient on there with as little risk to them and the providers as possible."
After conducting a risk assessment and considering all their options, Lange said that having a bariatric cot was the need they had to meet.
"Within the Truman district, we’ve had calls for service with larger patients and no way of getting them in and out of the house, no way of safely transporting them and with no facility in town," he said.
They also found in that assessment that nobody in the area surrounding Truman has this cot either, and without a grant, purchasing it would not have been possible.
"With Medicare reimbursements being down financially, it was a large burden," Lange said. "Without the foundation, it would not have happened. There’s not a capital outlay for that bariatric equipment."
FCH Foundation Director Kayla Caven said they pretty consistently look at potential grants as they come in.
"They submit an application that is found on our website," she said. "Each month at our board meetings we go over those applications and decide if we want to proceed with the grant, or if we need more information from them."
When Truman Ambulance came to FCH for help, she said it was pretty much an instant yes.
"This is exactly the type of project that FCH Foundation is proud to support," Caven said. "Our main goal is to strengthen healthcare services in the rural communities," she said. "This project addresses a very real need. Having bariatric patients, reducing the physical demands on emergency personnel and improving patient safety is huge."
Truman Ambulance has been able to use this cot for about a month. Given their rarity in Southern Minnesota, Lange said they have been, and believe they will continue to be, called on outside of Truman when larger patients need an ambulance.
"We’re on a regional call list for all South Central EMS regions for a request for service," Lange said. "Anybody in our area, whether it’s in the nine-county area or a transport where we can schedule it, we’d be happy to help with that. We’re going to try to keep it within a two-hour distance from Truman so we don’t take away from our communities here. For 911 calls, the providers contact their dispatch center and request a bariatric unit, and we are on that call list."
This is the first time FCH Foundation has been able to work with Truman Ambulance since expanding their focus from Mayo Clinic to all non-profit healthcare organizations in the FCH service area. Through this expansion, Caven said this has allowed them to reach even more community members to enhance their healthcare.
On the flip side, Lange said having an organization like the FCH has been beneficial for those who don't have the necessary funds to supply equipment to serve the community.
"It’s awesome that there is an organization out there willing to support us, take a leap of faith with us, and provide the funds and see the return of what comes to the community."