During the COVID 19 pandemic, patients at most hospitals in the USA are permitted no visitors for their own as well as community safety. Patients that are seriously ill and even dying are therefore alone. Kalispell Regional Healthcare (KRH) is currently using iPads for patients who want to Facetime with family members. However, they only have two for the entire Brendan House nursing facility (a 110 bed facility), and one for the COVID isolation ICU which is also used for nurse/doctor conversations. No devices are currently available for inpatient hospice.
More iPads are urgently needed for patients to visit with families, including last visits as videos if appropriate, instead of just by phone or not at all. These devices would be used for the patient populations indicated above at KRH, Kalispell MT.
Funds will purchase 13 devices dedicated to patient and family communication. All technical support will be provided by the KRH Information Technology Department who have alerted us to this need and requested these devices.
District grant will provide $2500, Rotary Club of Kalispell Daybreak will match with $2500.
Club member involvement will be minimal due to social distancing during COVID and by the nature of this request. The need is urgent and immediate and we hope to deliver the funds to purchase these devices immediately so they may be put into service.
These devices will be used for this purpose as long as the COVID visitor restrictions remain in effect. Afterwards, they will either continue to be used for hospitalized patients to visit with out of town loved ones, or for hospice patients to hear "goodbyes." Alternately some devices may be re-deployed to allow patients to participate in telehealth visits and virtual house calls from their home and alleviate some of the burden of traveling to the hospital or clinic for all medical visits.
We are submitting this grant under the exception: "Districts can use district grant funds to support local activities, like purchasing thermometers, protective medical gear, or other items to donate to medical professionals who need them. Districts can also use contingency funds from an open district grant or repurpose previously planned activities as a COVID-19 response. As districts prepare to submit new district grant applications for 2020-21, we encourage you to designate funds for COVID-19 responses. As a one-time exception, the Foundation will allow expenses related to COVID-19 that were incurred since 15 March 2020 to be reimbursed through 2020-21 district grants."
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