Bates County Memorial Hospital Awarded $50,000 in Medical Equipment Grant Funds from the Patterson Family Foundation

Bates County Memorial Hospital has been awarded a $50,000 Rural Hospital Medical Equipment and Supplies Grant from the Patterson Family Foundation, which the hospital will use to purchase a new hematology analyzer for its laboratory department.

The hospital is replacing its 2016 model with a Sysmex XN hematology analyzer. This instrument is used to perform Complete Blood Counts (CBC), a test that BCMH Lab Director Joani Boleyn says is the highest volume test for their department at over 12,000 performed each year. The CBC includes results for red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cell total and differential.

“Many health care decisions are impacted by the results of a patient’s CBC,” Boleyn said. “The test may be used as part of a routine checkup or to investigate symptoms such as fever, fatigue, weakness, and many others. Chronic conditions such as anemia and leukemias may also be monitored by this test.”

Access to safe and reliable health care is the foundation of community well-being, and the Patterson Family Foundation seeks to help nonprofit rural hospitals provide the best care and services for their communities. The goal of the Rural Hospital Medical Equipment and Supplies Grant is to assist providers in purchasing needed equipment and supplies to care for patients within their hospitals and communities.

Bates County Memorial Hospital met the criteria to apply for the grant due to its rural, nonprofit status and geographical position within the grant guidelines. BCMH thanks the Patterson Family Foundation for awarding the hospital this grant and for dedicating their efforts to helping rural communities.