Donor Advised Gift Brings Healing to Mayers' Patients

When Diana Groendyke, RN, first arrived at Mayers Memorial Hospital in May 2018, she knew she would need to hit the ground running. If you've had the opportunity to meet her, you'd know Diana is passionate about improving patient care. In her first month at the hospital, Diana, along with Michele Peterson (Wound Care Nurse) and Lani Martin (Dietician), instituted the Skin & Weight Program. This program serves as a critical intervention for patients with skin-related issues (i.e. pressure ulcers, existing injury, or chronic wound conditions).

When a patient at Mayer's Skilled Nursing Facility shows signs of a wound, if it's not given immediate and effective treatment, the wound could persist or take an extended amount of time to heal. The majority of the patients with wounds are bed bound, which increases the likelihood of a wound festering. This can be a painful experience for the patient. With this knowledge, Diana and her team took measures to improve the quality of care patients with wounds receive. Diana began by renting 10 specialty, therapy mattresses from Hill-Rom Services. These mattresses are designed to alleviate shear, friction and pressure on patient wounds during the healing process. They work by strategically distributing air into the mattress, in accordance with the patient's weight and height, reliving all pressure points for the patient. Hill-Rom's patented Advanced Microclimate® technology also wicks heat and moisture away, making the skin less prone to damage.

More good news came to the hospital, when an anonymous donor-advised gift of $50,000 was made to the Mayers Healthcare Foundation to fund the full purchase of 10 Hill-Rom P500 Therapy mattresses. This was an exciting prospect since renting the therapy mattresses over time would be scostlier than purchasing them. The Foundation's Executive Director, Marlene McArthur, worked closely with the donor to identify the most effective use of their contribution. When the donor learned that Mayers was renting the therapy mattresses, it became apparent to them that purchasing the mattresses would have a positive fiscal impact on the hospital.

Along with the therapy mattresses, the Skin & Weight program activities include: weekly rounds, conducted by Michele Peterson, on patients to monitor their wounds and track the healing progression; and nutritional interventions (diet adjustments, supplement recommendations, etc.) lead by Lani Martin. Diana, Michele and Lani meet on a weekly basis to assess the wound patients and discuss improvement goals. This simple, yet effective, treatment model has made a tremendous impact on Mayers' patients. The Skin & Weight Program has healed patient's skin issues completely, in a fraction of the time, and in some cases has prevented wounds from forming.