OMHC gets grant for mental health issues

Coverys Community Healthcare Foundation has awarded OMHC with a 2018 Patient Safety Grant to be used for dementia and mental health education and training.

Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital with a significant geriatric population. Much of the care provided is for patients with dementia or cognitive impairment. Successful interaction with these patients involves a skill set that is not always taught in nurse aide courses and is generally not part of any curriculum for other types of facility staff like registrars, housekeepers, food service and so on. Yet many of these employees interact frequently with cognitively impaired patients.

Specialized dementia training for staff is required by the state for employees who serve in Assisted Living facilities like Quail Court, but is not required for staff members at the hospital. While the hospital staff learns these skills during orientation, it is thanks to the Coverys Community Healthcare Foundation and the 2018 Patient Safety Grant that OMHC employees will be offered formal education and training on this important topic.

The Coverys Community Healthcare Foundation, Inc. provides grant funding and donations to organizations and innovative programs that improve patient care and safety, promote healthy lifestyles, support individuals and organizations providing healthcare services, and those in which Coverys employees and board members are involved. The development of the Foundation exemplifies Coverys’ dedication to being an affirmative and active corporate citizen in the healthcare community and the communities in which it operates. OMHC is proud to receive this grant to assist in continuing education for the dedicated professionals who care for patients with cognitive impairment on a daily basis.