Community Support Brings Colorful Updates To RMC
In the world of non-profit healthcare, the lines between needs and wants must be clearly divided. Medical equipment is needed to save lives. Supplies are needed to care for patients. This means items that make Roosevelt Medical Center feel less like a healthcare facility and more like a home often get pushed further down the priority list. Yet, it’s these comforting items that bring joy to our patients and residents. Thankfully, the communities of Culbertson, Froid and Bainville have always supported the feel-good projects that enable RMC to continue improving the quality of life for the people who call RMC home.
Recently, the Roosevelt Memorial Healthcare Foundations’ Comfort and Joy Project, which wrapped up in December, raised just over $2,100.
In January, the foundation approved the purchase of two geriatric wheelchairs. The chairs are designed to allow patients to get out of the confines of their bed and sit comfortably in a variety of positions while still being fully supported.
“Some patients can’t sit in a typical wheelchair because they cannot support themselves in an upright position. We want these patients to still have the opportunity to participate in the daily activities that take place throughout the facility. This type of seating nurtures a patient’s independence and improves their quality of life significantly by enabling them to still be out socializing with others,” said Jody Lizotte, director of nursing.
The chairs cost about $700 each.
The remaining funds, along with several other staff donations, were used to hang colorful canvas pictures down the four main hallways. Several halls depict wheat fields, horses and rustic scenery while one hallway has been transformed into an underwater world with colorful fish and bright coral.
“The pictures are a beautiful and engaging aesthetic for the residents to immerse themselves in. They have a mesmerizing quality that we hope will help add to the soothing and relaxing atmosphere,” said Jaimee Green, marketing and foundation director for RMC.
This fifth annual Comfort & Joy Project involved community members sponsoring ornaments on memorial and recognition trees that were displayed at First Community Bank, the post office and the lobby at RMC. Ornament sponsorships ranged from $10 to $100.
Someday, the facility hopes to remove the wallpaper and paint the hallways to further improve the look of the facility. However, this is a costly and time-consuming project that, for now, will have to wait.
Currently, RMC and the foundation are still working toward raising enough funds to replace the patient’s room call-lights system. The project is estimated to cost about $65,000. To date, about half of the funds have been raised.
