Behind Every Gift, We’re Making A Difference
FOUNDATION
FOUNDATION
Executive Summary
Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Nebraska is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a regional referral center and the only Level II Trauma Center in Nebraska west of Kearney. Since 1924, Regional West has served the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming through innovative healthcare services. As the region’s sole tertiary medical center, Regional West offers an expansive array of medical specialties and numerous physician clinics.
Who benefits from Foundation support?
As a supporter of Regional West Foundation, you make an impact in the lives of our patients, our employees, and your hospital. These are your local dollars at work, right here in our community.
To our friends and neighbors, Your hospital is preparing for the future … and Regional West, like most healthcare facilities, is facing several challenges as we go forward.
Investments in technology, expanded services, and continuing education will not only maintain the exceptional care available through our regional referral center, but it will also expand the many services offered to our patients.
We are fortunate that Regional West continues to benefit from great employees and a solid team of extraordinary physicians and providers.
The Foundation has committed to seek regional support for new projects and equipment to enhance the healthcare options for generations to come.
We sincerely hope that you will choose to join us in support of these efforts.
Mike Downey
Regional West Foundation Board Chair
Jim Trumbull
Regional West Board Chair
Together we’re making a difference
Installation of a PET/CT Scanner
A welcome addition to the Imaging Services department, Regional West’s PET/CT scanner removes the need for a mobile PET/CT unit. The 2025 funding is for the remaining balance related to equipment expenses and construction/installation.
As the need for accurate cancer detection and treatment planning has increased, PET/CT is one of the fastest growing fields in imaging.
What does PET/CT scanning do?
A Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computed Tomography (CT) exam combines two scans into one to create images with information about both anatomy and physiology. PET uses an injected radioactive isotope that travels through the bloodstream and attaches to different types of cells in the body. These areas of activity may be normal or indicate disease, depending on where they are located. The CT portion of the exam is used to create images that help precisely locate where the areas of activity are within the body. A board certified radiologist who specializes in PET/CT exams will examine the images before sending a report directly to the patient’s physician or provider.
PET/CT exams are used to help treat and diagnose illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, or brain disorders (such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia).
Regional West’s PET/CT suite is located in Regional West Medical Plaza South and features a Siemens Biograph mCT PET/CT machine, offering full diagnostic CT capability, lower radiation doses and exposure, and increased image quality and scan speeds. The Siemens mCT machine, which is the only one in the region, will allow us to improve not only the patient experience, but more importantly, the outcomes.
Varian EdgeTM Linear Accelerator
Together we’re making a difference
Linear Accelerator
For many cancer patients, radiation therapy, delivered by a linear accelerator, is a key part of treatment. It combines state-of-the-art imaging and treatment in one comprehensive system while pinpointing tumors and delivering highly focused treatments.
Radiation therapy can treat a broad range of cancers, including cancers of the head and neck, lung, breast, esophagus, stomach, rectum, uterus, prostate, bladder, liver, bones, and tumors in the brain and spine.
How does a linear accelerator deliver radiation?
Regional West’s new Varian Edge™ linear accelerator will allow for a much more customized and targeted radiation treatment regimen that conforms to each individual patient’s anatomy, as well as the location, size, and type of cancer that is being treated. By targeting these cancers with enhanced accuracy and precision, patient response to treatment can be maximized while minimizing radiation doses to normal surrounding tissues. This reduces side-effect risks associated with radiation therapy.
Radiation therapy can be used in combination with other treatment options, such as surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and/or immunotherapy for some types of cancer. It also can be used alone as the best course of treatment for certain tumors.
Advantages of the Varian Edge™ linear accelerator
• Delivers precise, accurate, and fast treatment while minimizing exposure to nearby healthy tissue
• Offers a high radiation dose rate for faster treatment in shorter time frames
• Performs accuracy checks and shuts off if it detects that the patient’s position has shifted during treatment. This results in minimal impact on surrounding vital organs and healthy tissue
• With each noninvasive procedure lasting only minutes, patients can quickly resume daily activities
Together we’re making a difference
A New Vehicle for the Community Paramedic Program
The Community Paramedic Program is new to Regional West and Regional West Emergency Medical Services but is not a new concept. In 2013, Regional West Medical Center and Valley Ambulance partnered on a local study where paramedics made home visits to recently discharged patients, with the outcome resulting in a decrease in hospital readmissions. The study was presented at the 2014 International Roundtable on Community Paramedicine (IRCP).
How does the program work?
Prior to hospital dismissal, patients are identified who do not qualify for home healthcare but may benefit from one or more home visits from a community paramedic. The new vehicle is used by community paramedics to make home visits throughout the area. Target populations include patients with COPD, heart failure, and pneumonia. Although the service is not currently covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or third-party payers, there is no charge to patients.
Project Plan Goals
Use community paramedics for the purpose of advancing the health and wellness of patients through:
• Bridging communication between Regional West and patients in their homes through home visits (Note: community paramedics are not home healthcare providers)
• Increasing access to healthcare for underserved populations and community members
• Improving recovery time from acute conditions and improving care of chronic conditions
• Developing a strong working connection between patients enrolled in the program, healthcare providers, and patients’ families
Utilize community paramedics to advance the health and wellness of patients through reducing hospital readmissions, emergency department visits, and ambulance transports by providing direction through a variety of Regional West departments and stakeholders within our communities.
Lower the cost of rural healthcare through indirect services so patients are maintaining physician visits, prescriptions, and follow-up care.
Community Paramedic Program
Health Education Scholarships
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Scholarships for Future Healthcare Professionals
Each year, Regional West Foundation grants health education scholarships to students from Regional West’s service area. Following graduation, many of the students pursue employment in the communities Regional West serves. Regional West Foundation awards an average of $75,000 each year. Last year, the following scholarships were awarded.
Memorial, honorary, and legacy scholarships
A total of $49,500 in scholarships was awarded to 15 students enrolled at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Nursing-West Nebraska division, Scottsbluff, and Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC), Scottsbluff. Students at WNCC are enrolled in the Associates Degree Nursing program and students enrolled in UNMC College of Nursing are pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.
Regional West Medical Center School of Radiologic Technology scholarships
The Regional West Foundation Board of Directors awarded a total of $19,000 in scholarships to five Regional West School of Radiologic Technology (SORT) students. Founded in 1951, SORT is a two-year hospital-based program offering the only radiographer education program in western Nebraska.
Surgical tech scholarships
Regional West Foundation awards two James Massey, MD, FACS scholarships annually for $1,500 each. Recipients must be currently enrolled in the Western Nebraska Junior College Surgical Tech program.
West Nebraska Blood Center scholarships
Last year, $9,000 in scholarships was awarded to 10 students through the West Nebraska Blood Center, located at Regional West Medical Center. Eligible students for the West Nebraska Blood Center scholarships are pursuing a degree for a career in laboratory medicine, including medical laboratory scientist, medical laboratory technician, cytotechnologist, histotechnologist, pathologist assistant, and pathology.
New Patient Beds and Stretchers
Together we’re making a difference
New Patient Beds and Stretchers
Patients at Regional West are resting more comfortably in new hospital beds and stretchers, thanks to a 2024 donation from Regional West Foundation totaling approximately $1.6 million.
The beds include 60 new Stryker beds on inpatient nursing floors, four bariatric beds, four labor and delivery beds, 19 Emergency Department stretchers, 12 peri-operative stretchers, and five stretchers for the Imaging Services department.
In addition to being equipped with enhanced features to increase patient safety and comfort, the new beds can go as low as 11 inches from the ground, offering better protection against falls. The mattresses also include a gel support surface that helps prevent skin and pressure injuries.
Thanks to the Foundation donation, all bassinets in the Birth and Infant Care Center’s nursery have also been replaced. The new bassinets are ergonomically designed for both mothers and nurses, with wheel locks, non-tip tubs, and the ability to raise and lower. Their shape allows them to be pulled up in front of a chair or beside mothers’ mattresses, meaning infants can safely sleep in the bassinet next to their mothers.
The labor and delivery beds come with mattresses that utilize air pumps to soften or firm the mattress based on preference. The beds are adjustable to position mothers comfortably for delivery.
Patient Call System
Oncology Clinic Flooring Pharmacy Refrigerators
Together we’re making a difference
A Hospital-Wide Patient Call System
Regional West Medical Center’s new patient call system will replace an aged, outdated system and improve patient care, patient/employee safety, and patient/employee satisfaction.
Patients and families entrusted to our care deserve to have safety, security, and peace of mind while they are in our facility. The new patient safety system allows patients to easily communicate their needs and request for assistance to nurses and employees, quickly getting the response they need.
The patient call light system offers numerous safety features, such as the application of bed alarm tones, and call systems available for bathroom usage. It provides the ability to meet our patients’ needs and provide exceptional care now while being able to easily expand in the future.
Pharmacy Refrigerators for the Community Pharmacy, Inpatient Pharmacy, and the Infusion Center
Refrigerators need adequate airflow to maintain temperatures in the desired range, and refrigerators in the Community Pharmacy, Inpatient Pharmacy, and the Infusion Center are filled to capacity. The refrigerators hold a significant amount of medication worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Best practice is to use medical grade units to store medication. Temperatures are more controlled and consistent, and easier to adjust and monitor.
Oncology Clinic Flooring
Regional West Physicians Clinic-Oncology will soon relocate to a separate clinic. The space previously had 30-year old carpet throughout the clinic. With a non-porous, no-crevice, waterproof surface, luxury vinyl plank flooring will allow for easier, more thorough, cleaning and disinfection that make it easier to scrub.
In addition, the new flooring can withstand heavy foot traffic, rolling and moving of equipment, and daily wear and tear. Since it is resistant to stains, scuffs, and scratches, it will be a long-lasting and reliable investment.
Together we’re making a difference
New Equipment and Technology for Cardiac Catheterization
Regional West’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab offers advanced technology to evaluate or confirm the presence of heart, valve, and aortic disease; evaluate heart muscle function; and determine the need for further treatment. In addition, the lab is used for procedures involving pacemakers, internal defibrillators, and loop recorders.
Our state-of-the-art Cardiac Cath Lab provides patients with the following benefits:
• Better image quality Higher resolution helps better define structures and vessels and aids in navigation. This results in better visualization of the anatomy, including detail of vessel blockage.
• Contrast injector Providing a more efficient, lower contrast dose for patients, a contrast injector reduces the risk of adverse reactions from contrast media. It also provides less risk for patients with impaired kidney function.
• Hemodynamic monitoring equipment upgrade Hemodynamic monitoring measures the blood pressure inside the veins, heart, and arteries. It also measures blood flow and how much oxygen is in the blood. It is one way to see how well the heart is working.
• Fluoroscopy equipment update With the update, patients and the Cath Lab team are exposed to less radiation.
• Workflow improvement With a new lab configuration, the circulating nurse inside the procedure room now spends less time moving around the room and more time focusing on the patient.
Cardiac Cath Lab procedures include:
• Diagnostic heart catheterization – a test that assesses the function of the heart muscle and valves, and evaluates blood flow through the heart
• Aortic valve evaluations
• Pacemaker implants
• Pacemaker generator changes
• Defibrillator implants
• Loop recorders implants
• Pericardiocentesis – a procedure used to drain abnormal fluid accumulation from around the heart
Cardiac Catheterization Lab
CT Scanner
Together we’re making a difference
Installation of a CT Scanner in the Cancer Treatment Center
With the installation of a new Philips Brilliance Big Bore CT simulator in The Cancer Treatment Center, Regional West further enhanced patient care.
What does Computed Tomography (CT) scanning do?
• CT simulation is one of the latest advances in the preparation for the treatment of cancer. It is the most accurate process available to localize, define, and reconstruct a patient’s tumor in 3-dimension, as well as 4-dimension in some cases.
• Prior to radiation therapy, the CT simulator dramatically increases the precision of treatment planning by pinpointing the exact location, shape, and size of the tumor to be treated.
• CT technology uses X-rays and computers to create cross-sectional “slices,” or images of the body. These images provide precise information about the anatomy at each location, or slice. Bones, soft tissue, brain, organs, and blood vessels can all be imaged.
• Although CT scans expose the patient to ionizing radiation, Regional West radiologists and technologists work closely to assure that each scan is done using the lowest possible radiation dose, especially for children.
• CT technology is advancing rapidly. Today’s scanners are faster and create images with better detail than those of a decade ago. Regional West currently has one 16-slice and one 64-slice CT scanner. One of the CT scanners is equipped with a special fluoroscopy unit so it may be used for guidance during procedures like biopsies.
Together we’re making a difference
da Vinci® Surgical System
Over the past 25 years, surgical techniques have evolved from open surgery to minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures to robotic surgery. As a regional referral center, we are pleased to offer advanced, minimally invasive da Vinci® robotic surgery to our patients.
How does it work?
Robotic surgery combines the best features of traditional open and minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. It uses the small incisions of laparoscopic surgery while allowing the wristed movement and 3D visualization of open surgery. As with laparoscopic surgery, a miniature camera is inserted through a tiny incision and the surgeon performs the procedure by guiding the surgical instruments and the camera while sitting at the console. The robotic computer system translates the surgeon’s hand movements in real time to manipulate the instruments as the physician performs the procedure.
Advantages of da Vinci® robotic surgery
Robotic surgery is a less invasive technique than ‘open’ surgery. Advantages over laparoscopic surgery include better visualization and enhanced depth perception for surgeons, which enhance their ability to do fine dissection and suturing.
• Shorter hospital stays
• Less blood loss
• Fewer complications
• Less need for narcotic pain medicine
• Faster recovery
• Smaller incisions associated with minimal scarring
da Vinci® Surgical System
Together we’re making a difference
3D Tomography
From screening mammograms using 3D tomography, the latest technology for detecting breast cancer in dense breast tissue, to certain non-invasive biopsies, the Breast Health Center streamlines services so waiting times are diminished and women receive the information they need to make informed decisions about their care.
Early detection increases survival rates
The five-year survival rate for all women diagnosed with breast cancer is 90%. This means that 90 out of every 100 women with breast cancer will survive for at least five years. Most will live a full life and never have a recurrence. Chances of survival are better if the cancer is detected early, before it spreads to other parts of your body. Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms.
Anyone can get breast cancer:
• The older a woman, the more likely she is to get breast cancer
• Young women can and do get breast cancer, even in their 20s
• Men can get breast cancer. One out of every 100 cases of breast cancer will occur in a man
• Known risk factors, such as having a family history of breast cancer, starting menopause after age 55, or never having children, account for only a small number of new breast cancer cases every year
• Women who inherit the BRCA gene mutation are at a greater risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer
3D Tomography
Regional West
…Over 100 years of growth and outstanding care!
Since 1924, Regional West has served the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming as the region’s sole tertiary medical center offering an expansive array of medical specialties and numerous physician clinics.
In 1972, Regional West Foundation was established to support the hospital’s mission of excellence in healthcare. Today, the Foundation’s success is a continuation of a long and proud tradition of community support for superior healthcare services in the communities we serve.
Regional West Foundation raises, manages, and distributes funds to enhance the services, programs, and projects of Regional West Health Services. The Foundation supports projects to strengthen healthcare services that are essential to the quality and growth of our local medical community.
Your gifts to Regional West Foundation play a critical role in the growth and development of Regional West. Your support helps provide state-of-the-art technology, assists in building new facilities, and helps purchase new medical equipment. Your contribution also supports healthcare scholarships and employee education programs. Please give special consideration to making a gift to Regional West Foundation.
The Foundation has a well established gift planning program to assist donors, and welcomes corporate, organizational, and individual gifts. If you would like to give to the Foundation, but don’t see a specific need or cause that matches your personal philanthropic interest, please contact us. For more information about the tax benefits of charitable giving, call the Foundation at 308-630-1485 or your personal financial planner.
Scottsbluff, NE | 308-630-1485 www.RegionalWestFoundation.org