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On behalf of the Rutherford Hospital Foundation, David Bixler, CEO, accepts a Facebook-Rutherford Community Action Grant, also for $25,000, from George Henry of Facebook. Also present are Cheryl Lee, RN, - The Birth Place, Tom Jaski, MD – Foundation B
Rutherford Regional Health System welcomed Henry Thursday afternoon for two of those grant presentations. The first presentation of $25,000 will help Rutherford Regional feature increased internet access, connectivity and capacity so that the health system can communicate more effectively with its medical practices and the greater medical community.
The grant was written in partnership with PANGAEA, who will facilitate the connection to Rutherford Regional. Ron Walters of PANGAEA was on hand for the presentation on Thursday. Walters said his company focuses on bringing high-speed internet to largely rural areas. He said his hope was that this enhanced connectivity will benefit the Rutherford County medical community in a significant way.
George Henry of Facebook added, “Facebook connects people all over the world, and right here in Rutherford County, it’s very important to us to connect to our community. Rutherford County has welcomed and supported us, and Facebook is thrilled to call it home. Our goal with these grants is to help local organizations make a difference in this community that’s made such a difference to us.”
The second presentation of $25,000 was made by Facebook to the Rutherford Hospital Foundation to support Rutherford Regional’s new Fetal Monitoring System, located in The Birth Place. Total cost of the fetal monitoring system was $300,000 and Facebook’s grant now completes the first half of the funding for that project.
Dr. Tom Jaski of the Foundation board said, “This will go a long toward helping us meet our goal of reimbursing the hospital for the cost of this technology. The system makes this a state-of-the-art O.B. unit. It monitors both the mother and fetus, making this an early warning system, alerting us to potential problems. We’re extremely proud to feature such an advancement in our facility for the safety of newborns and mothers alike.”
A local committee helped review and evaluate the applications for the grants, including Commission Chair Bill Eckler, Forest City Mayor Dennis Tarlton, Outgoing Economic Development Chair Tom Johnson, United Way Director Faye Hassell, Isothermal Community College President Myra Johnson and Main Street Financial’s Diane Warner.
Article and photos submitted by:
Jennifer Shoenfelt, Rutherford Regional Hospital
