Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - construction - this funding would be used to purchase and install remote telemetry monitoring technology in rush health system's rural…

Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - construction - this funding would be used to purchase and install remote telemetry monitoring technology in rush health system's rural hospital network comprised of four critical access hospitals in east central mississippi and west central alabama, including H.C. Watkins memorial hospital in quitman, MS; john c. Stennis memorial hospital in dekalb, MS; laird hospital in union, MS; and scott regional hospital in morton, MS and choctaw general hospital in butler, AL. This technology would allow centralized monitoring of patients in each of rush's rural hospitals by a dedicated team of healthcare professionals located at the main campus hospital in meridian. Having a centralized care team remotely monitoring each patient creates a proactive care model where bedside care teams can intervene earlier and make care and treatment for patients with urgent needs their top priority. This is particularly important in the current environment where staffing issues created by the pandemic have increased the burden on bedside caregivers. This care model also allows patients with a higher level of acuity to be treated in their community hospital rather than be transferred to rush's main campus. Receiving treatment close to home is an important part of a patient's care, particularly in rural areas, where a transfer can create significant burden on a patient, their family, and friends. These five safety net hospitals provide a critical service to the mississippians and alabamans who live in these rural areas, and this funding will directly impact and improve the level and quality of care that is provided in east central mississippi and west central alabama. Safety net hospitals play a critical role in the american health care system. Providing care in underserved and rural areas, these hospitals are often the only healthcare entity for many miles and serve patients who tend to be older and in poorer health. Rural residents are more likely to DIE from heart disease, cance r, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than their urban counterparts. For these reasons, investing in rural health has been a priority of congress and administrations from both parties for many years. Continued investment in these facilities is critically important, particularly now as covid-19 has been particularly challenging for rural communities given a limited health care infrastructure, fewer clinicians, and higher rates of disease.