The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) has awarded an $89,440 grant to Grossmont College’s Allied Health Division. The grant will be applied towards the purchase of three pieces of equipment that will assist in the training of cardiovascular, respiratory and orthopedic technology students.
The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) has awarded an $89,440 grant to Grossmont College’s Allied Health Division. The grant will be applied towards the purchase of three pieces of equipment that will assist in the training of cardiovascular, respiratory and orthopedic technology students.
According to Domenica Oliveri, interim dean, Allied Health Division, Grossmont College, the grant will help purchase a SurgiStat electrosurgical generator made by Dublin, Ireland-based Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) that will help cardiovascular students learn about electrocautery procedures used during a variety of interventional cardiac diagnostic procedures. She said the college currently does not have this equipment.
In addition, Oliveri said GHD funds would help orthopedic students practice casting and splinting using a new cast cutter and cast dust vacuum manufactured by Stryker Corp. (NYSE:SYK) of Kalamazoo, Mich. She said the college’s current cast cutter and dust vacuum is outdated and frequently broken.
Also, respiratory therapy students will experience how to care for patients with acute and chronic respiratory diseases with a new Carescape ventilator and oxygenation system from General Electric (GE) Healthcare, Oliveri said. The college’s current ventilations are rented or borrowed and do not give students the necessary skills needed to care for patients, she said.
“We are grateful for the Grossmont Healthcare District because this new equipment will help refine rigorous and interactive laboratory experiences for our students,” said Oliveri. “Students using this equipment will be introduced to simulated workplace experiences enabling them to refine their critical thinking and analytical skills.”
“We are proud to contribute to the education of these healthcare students so they can apply their knowledge in their careers as they provide safe and competent bedside care,” said Michael Emerson, 2017 board president, Grossmont Healthcare District. “Students who practice in a laboratory setting with up-to-date equipment in a simulated environment will be better prepared to keep pace with the future’s dynamic healthcare system.”
Grossmont College offers accredited programs in cardiovascular technology, orthopedic technology and respiratory therapy.
The Grossmont Healthcare District is a public agency that supports various health-related community programs and services in the East Region. Formed in 1952 to build and operate Grossmont Hospital, GHD now leases operations to Sharp HealthCare via a public-private partnership, and continues to own the hospital on behalf of local taxpayers. The District is governed by a five-member board of directors, each elected to four-year terms, who represent more than 500,000 people residing within the District's 750 square miles in San Diego's East County. For more information about GHD, visit www.grossmonthealthcare.org.
