Cody Regional Health Receives SLIB Grant Funding to Help Offset COVID Disruptions

Cody, Wyo.(November 10, 2020) – The State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) of Wyoming has awarded Cody Regional Health (CRH) roughly $4 million this year in Coronavirus Relief Grants to assist with a variety of needs in order to combat COVID-19.

Funds were allocated to a variety of departments within Cody Regional Health, including their Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Home Health and Hospice, Operating Rooms, Long Term Care Center (LTCC), and payroll mitigation.

“Our number one goal is to keep our patients, team, and community safe. It’s important for the communities we serve to remember the best way to support our health care heroes during this pandemic is to continue to limit the spread of this virus by wearing a mask, staying home when sick, washing our hands, and following CDC guidelines. Our team is seeing major effects and we want to make sure we can continue to offer the standard of care we are used to at CRH,” stated CEO, Doug McMillan.

Cody Regional Health has received funding for the following projects:

Long Term Care Center Tables & Rehab Equipment, $80,925: This equipment was awarded to CRH’s LTCC residents during the COVID pandemic to help keep them active and healthy. CRH’s LTCC also received funds to purchase new dining room tables that can be cleaned and disinfected in contrast to their current dining room furniture.

Telehealth Project Grant, $395,588: In order to improve access to comprehensive medical care through Telehealth while reducing the risk of COIVID-19 exposures to citizens, CRH is expanding their community paramedicine team in order to assist with in-home patients through telemedicine.

EMS Power Load Grant, $225,128: This new equipment will allow CRH’s EMS personnel to be protected during patient care and transport and avoid staffing shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current method of transporting patients requires EMS personnel to be properly placed at all sides of a cot when loading a patient. This requires staff to get within 6-12 inches from the patient. It also requires the EMS team to lift sometimes an excess of 400 pounds causing injury to clinical personnel.

Home Health Vehicle, $29,102: This new vehicle allows CRH Home Health personnel to visits vulnerable patients in their homes. Since the pandemic, the CRH Home Health department has seen an increase of over 71% in in-home visits.

EMS Equipment, $300,397:

• LifePak 15 – These monitors are utilized for the transport of patients that requires continuous monitoring. This includes Non-invasive B/P, EKG, 12-Lead, SPO2, CO Monitoring, and temperature monitoring.
• GlideScope Go – These are video Laryngoscopes that allows our provider to visualize airway anatomy through a camera during critical airway procedures.
• Lucas System – This is a compression system that performs CPR, this allows our staff to reduce their exposure during Cardiac Arrest events.
• Zoll EMV Ventilators – These ventilators are equipped to provide oxygen therapy to critically ill patients including CPAP/BIPAP

5 xenux disinfection ultra violet lights, $506,750: These lights pulse ultraviolet light to kill all pathogens within a closed room, including COVID-19.

6 Demystifier 200A w/transport backup units, $52,590: This portable negative pressure tent allows healthcare providers to safely house patients with infectious diseases include COVID-19.

This grant funding is in addition to $1.3 million Cody Regional Health received from the SLIB to assist with their payroll deficit. All Coronavirus Relief Grant funding must be expended by the end of the year.

For assistance with this story, please contact Ashley Trudo at atrudo@codyregionalhealth.org or call (307) 578-2512.

About Cody Regional Health

CRH is a national leading critical care access healthcare system serving Northwest Wyoming. CRH employs and partners with over 100 providers offering a wide variety of comprehensive services including a walk-in clinic, Orthopaedic clinic, wound care and cardiology. Adjacent to our hospital is a 94-bed Long-Term Care Center and 16-bed chemical dependency center. CRH offers an 8-bed hospice care house and a regional cancer center. CRH abides by the Planetree philosophy as a model of health care. The Planetree model strives to enhance patient comfort by personalizing, humanizing and demystifying the health care experience. More information can be found at www.codyregionalhealth.org.