At Wednesday’s Board of Director’s meeting, Oak Valley Hospital CEO John McCormick announced that the State of California awarded the hospital a $350,000 grant.

The money, awarded through the Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Surgical Care Improvement Project, is already earmarked for updating the hospital’s intensive care unit or ICU.

“This is huge because we really need this equipment,” said David Rodriguez, Director of Clinics and Business Development.

McCormick informed the board that five new ICU monitors, at a total cost of $160,000,  designed to examine patient vital signs, are being funded by the grant to replace current ones in use that are beyond their technological lifespan. The new technology that comes with the devices allows for more advanced critical patient monitoring and improved nurse and physician satisfaction.

Other equipment to be furnished by the grant includes 20 new intravenous programmable “smart pumps” at a total cost of $80,000 required by Joint Commission standards. The pumps will now be standardized throughout the entire facility reducing the potential for medication errors and increasing patient safety.

The hospital will also purchase five new ICU beds for approximately $100,000. There are currently only four ICU beds at Oak Valley and with the new beds comes new technology that can increase patient comfort and care.

For more of this story, look to the May 2, 2012 edition of The Oakdale Leader