A trip to the Boundary County Fair brought back memories and a chance to sample fair foods again for Boundary Community Hospital Extended Care Facility residents. This trip was made possible through the efforts of the Fry Healthcare Foundation and the generous contributions by the community that purchased the 12-seat wheelchair accessible van for the Extended Care Facility.
In a time-sensitive emergency, every second counts—especially when you need vital information about a patient in the emergency room. Over the past three years, the Fry Healthcare Foundation has purchased telemetric heart monitors with a central station, so nurses can monitor multiple patients from a single screen; new gurneys that show patient weight, which is critical for proper medication calculations; a portable ultrasound machine to see foreign objects or injuries without leaving the emergency room; and a vein visualization instrument to make it easier for IV starts. Stuffed teddy bears for children needing comfort during an emergency visit are donated through Fry’s Veryl Lindsay Memorial Fund.
As the population ages, more Boundary County folks need physical therapy. In a small community like ours, sometimes you need to wait to use equipment because we can only afford one expensive machine at a time. The Annual Fry Foundation Golf Tournament in 2017 contributed a second Nu-Step Recumbent Cross Trainer for knee and hip rehabilitation.
Since the Fry Healthcare Education Center was completed in May of 2011, 223 Certified Nursing Assistants have graduated, many finding employment at the Boundary County Hospital and Nursing Home. The Education Center is used for staff development and training, as well as community health education.
This year the 10th Annual Golf Tournament at Mirror Lake Golf Course on September 7, 2018, will be raising money for new Vital Sign Monitors. Often referred to as a Robonurse, these vital signs units on wheels are used to check blood pressure, temperature, oxygen in the blood and keep tabs on patients in all areas of the Hospital and Nursing Home.
These are just a few examples of how the Foundation has affected our community through its fundraising and memorial donations on behalf of Boundary Community Hospital. A heartfelt thank you to everyone in the community for your continued support of the Fry Healthcare Foundation Board of Directors through the Festival of Hearts in February and the Golf Tournament in September.