Hamot and Regional Partners Put Grant to Use to Improve Patient Care

Erie, PA- In just two months, significant progress has been made in providing greater access to advanced medical care to four regional hospitals thanks to a federal grant awarded to Hamot Medical Center in late summer.


Then Representative Kathy Dahlkemper presented Hamot with the $99,000 Health and Human Services grant in mid-September, a grant for which Hamot applied with Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport, Elk Regional Health Center in St. Marys, Kane Community Hospital in Kane and Bradford Regional Medical Center in Bradford. The grant was requested specifically to help facilitate transportation of critically ill patients.

The cache of equipment was ordered and was delivered Friday, January 21st to each of the rural hospital, where it will be permanently located. The equipment includes an Alaris IV pump and tubing, CPAP and ventilators for EMS which feature bipap. Each of the hospitals received this cache of equipment so EMS units can borrow them from the regional hospital directly, which will help decrease the delay times when transferring patients. Currently, the transfer of critically ill patients from the rural hospitals can be significantly delayed as a result of several factors and the availability of this equipment will help eliminate that.

“The purchase of this equipment will help put an end to critically-ill patients having to wait for a hospital transfer,” Dahlkemper said. “This equipment will save lives because it will give Hamot doctors the chance to provide the best care possible, as fast as possible. This grant is a great benefit for our rural communities.”

Hamot Medical Center officials said that adding the equipment to rural hospitals will begin to reduce health care disparities in rural areas, improve hospital efficiencies and save lives.

“This grant, due to Rep. Dahlkemper’s leadership, supports our philosophy of local care and provides patients with better access to advanced medical care when it is needed. It is providing essential medical equipment that is needed onsite to stabilize the patient and if necessary, transfer them to a higher level of care,” said Val Jackson, the regional director of the Hamot Heart Institute.

This is what local hospital leaders had to say about this new equipment cache and the ability to offer increased access to high-level care:

J. Gary Rhodes, VP of Hamot Health Foundation and CEO of Kane Community Hospital noted, "We're happy about this grant and once again, through our partnership with Hamot Medical Center, we're seeing the excellent benefits of that affiliation."

“Thanks to Rep. Dahlkemper’s leadership and our partnership with Hamot, Elk Regional has been able to take a very big step toward eliminating the delay in hospital transfers for critically ill patients,” said Gregory P. Bauer, the president and CEO of Elk Regional Health Center. “This equipment is going to save lives by offering critically ill patients in our rural region greater access to advanced medical care.”

Emily Myers, director of emergency services, at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital says, “This equipment enhances our ability to transfer patients, when needed, to a larger tertiary facility while helping to minimize delays. It will give us the opportunity to improve the level of care for our patients throughout the region.”

David Kobis, Chief Operating Officer at BRMC, is excited about what the grant will mean for patients, who live in his community. "This grant will allow Bradford to secure an autoventitalor and IV pump that will expedite the transfer and treatment of acutely ill patients. This additional equipment will enable the hospital to enhance our service levels and quality of care to patients throughout the Bradford region."

Hamot Medical Center is a 375-bed, tertiary care facility, located in Erie, PA. Hamot has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report- America’s Best Hospitals, Top 50 for Pulmonary Medicine, Most Wired, and Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals for overall performance, as well as Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals for outstanding outcomes in heart care, neurological services, urology, orthopaedics, gerontology and critical care medicine. Hamot was founded in 1881 and nearly 130 years later continues to be the Best Place to Be. More information Hamot can be found at www.hamot.org.