RGH looks to locals to fill nursing jobs

Roosevelt General Hospital board members approved donation of $15,000 from the hospital’s general budget to a scholarship fund being administered by Eastern New Mexico University Foundation for local nursing and social services students.

The RGH board members made the approval during a board meeting Tuesday. James D’Agostino said he was approached with the request from Stephen Doerr, president of the ENMU Foundation. According to D’Agostino, Doerr will be making similar requests to Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis for $35,000 and $50,000 from area doctors for the scholarships which would go to Curry and Roosevelt County residents. D’Agostino said the ENMU foundation would match the $100,000 dollar for dollar.

“Eastern wants to help with the shortage of nurses and social workers,” D’Agostino said. “Grow your own is always better.”

D’Agostino said the scholarships would be for Roosevelt and Curry county residents who would enroll in nursing and social work programs at Clovis Community College and ENMU.

In other business:

• Carol Rueter, RGH director of nursing, reported 736 patients in the emergency room for the month of April. This compares to 757 patients for the month of March, 785 patients in December and 776 in October.

According to Rueter, Eye Associates physicians will see 60 patients in May and there were 54 cases in April. Rueter said Home Health workers had 27 patients in April.

• Rueter also reported that the Roosevelt County Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) program saw four victims in April. Rueter said Tawnya Burton, registered nurse and director of the Roosevelt County SANE program wants to do educational seminars about sexual assault in the public schools.

Rueter said during an open house April 28, which more than 90 people attended, SANE nurses raised $600 through a blanket raffle. The $600 will be used to supply victims with hygiene products and clothing.

• D’Agostino informed the board that hospital officials will be celebrating the five-year anniversary of the hospital’s new location in August. D’Agostino said 40 employees will have been with the hospital at the new site five years as of Dec. 31. The RGH building used to be located where the Heartland Continuing Care Center is located at 1700 S. Ave. O.