Health Talk: Benefits at RRMC
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By SARAH NARKEWICZ - Published: July 1, 2009
As a nonprofit hospital, Rutland Regional Medical Center provides valuable community benefits that help improve the health of the residents of Rutland County.
These programs and resources serve individuals, targeted groups and the community at large. Some of these programs have been in existence for more than 100 years. Other programs change depending on the needs of the community.
The health needs of Rutland County are assessed every five years to be sure the programs and services are meeting the needs of the community.
The RRMC program that provides the most important safety net for the community is the free and discounted care program.
In 2008, RRMC provided $2.7 million in care for those who cannot afford to pay for health care. People can apply for this program through the Financial Counseling Office at 747-1648 or e-mail FinancialCounselors@rrmc.org.
The most visible community benefit program is the array of community education programs that are provided throughout the county.
These programs are popular and effective. In 2008, more than 1,200 people participated in the tobacco cessation program. This program is part of a statewide Quit Network and it has one of the highest quit rates in the nation.
Another successful program is Safe Sitter, a baby-sitting program for 11- to 13-year-olds. This program teaches skills that will be used for a lifetime, such as how to handle an emergency. In 2008, 160 youngsters were trained through this program.
Community education is offered through a number of other ways. The Health Science Library has a collection of consumer health resources.
These are books, magazines and CDs on any health topic. The library is open to the community. For the best use of your time, call 747-3777 ahead to make an appointment with the librarian.
RRMC also provides an e-health newsletter; this is a personalized electronic newsletter on topics that interest you. Anyone can sign up this through the RRMC Web site, www.rrmc.org. RRMC also provides a long list of support groups that meet routinely. These are also listed on the RRMC Web site.
RRMC is a leader in supporting the education of current and future health-care professionals. It does this in a number of ways. For current health professionals, RRMC offers many continuing education opportunities.
Through partnerships with educational institutions, RRMC provides a clinical setting for health care student experiences. Each year, about 100 Castleton College nursing students spend a combined 8,000 hours in the hospital. High school students can explore health careers through a number of programs. These include job shadowing, volunteering and summer health careers camp.
RRMC does not work alone in improving the health of the community. It relies on partnerships with other organizations. One critical part of a health-care system is to have an adequate number of primary care providers.
Rutland County is been challenged to have enough doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. RRMC has supported the Community Health Clinics of the Rutland Region with annual donations to support the startup of clinics in Brandon, Castleton, and Pawlet. RRMC also provides support for recruitment and retention of primary-care providers.
These are just a few examples of the community benefits that are provided by RRMC. The hospital is committed to providing services that go beyond the routine patient-care services to care for the health needs of the community.
This article was written by Sarah Narkewicz, director of the Bowse Health Trust.
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