Enhancing the Quality of Rural Health Care

By Patty Hutchens Bonner General Health Foundation

At a time when hospital budget cuts and staff shortages are on the rise, Sandpoint’s Bonner General Health is grateful to have the support of its community through the Bonner General Health Foundation. Since it was re-established in 2007, the Bonner General Health Foundation has raised over 1.7 million dollars to enhance the quality of care for those in our area.

“We have been able to do remarkable things with the support of our community and the fundraising efforts of the Bonner General Health Foundation,” said Molly Behrens, Community Development and Foundation Specialist for Bonner General Health.

Over the course of the last 18 months those efforts have significantly ramped up. Historically, the Foundation held one fundraiser each year, the Annual Heart Ball, for a specific cause identified by the Foundation through consultation with the administration of Bonner General Health. However, more needed to be done.

“There are many needs that arise in our various departments that are not covered by the annual operating budget,” said Behrens. In response to those needs, the Foundation Board of Trustees established a Hometown Health Grant program, awarding internal grants to various departments for specific needs. Since November of 2021 the Foundation has awarded $70,000 in grants to enhance the quality of care for Bonner General Health’s patients.

“This is a hard time for healthcare in general, and Bonner General is feeling that like every other hospital system,” said Dr. Stacey Good, Chief Medical Officer for Bonner General Health. “The Bonner General Health Foundation’s Hometown Health Grant program empowers the staff and their departments to apply for equipment and services that would otherwise not be possible under the current operating budget. This is an incredible program that allows Bonner General to continue to elevate patient care in creative ways that otherwise would be difficult.”

The Find Your Strength 5K/1K Family Fun Run this past summer kicked off the campaign for an Exoskeleton for Bonner General Health’s Physical Therapy Department. The Exoskeleton is a stateof-the-art wearable robotic that assists in gait training and mobility for those who have lost their ability to walk due to stroke, injury, multiple sclerosis, and more. With the assistance of the Exoskeleton and wrist canes, Sandpoint resident Chris Owens was able to walk for the first time in over a decade. Unfortunately for Owens and many like him, the closest facility with an Exoskeleton is a four-hour drive to Wenatchee.

“Once we are able to purchase the Exoskeleton, we will be the only hospital in Idaho to offer this kind of therapy,” said Behrens, adding that this year’s Heart Ball raised a record amount of funds for a second 3-D mammography machine to address the ever-growing need in Bonner County. “The support of this community never ceases to amaze me.”

To find out more about the Bonner General Health Foundation, log onto BonnerGeneral.org/Foundation.

By Sara Thole