The Foundation for Rush Receives $100,000 Grant for H.C. Watkins Emergency Department and Security Rehabilitation Project

Sep 27, 2018

QUITMAN, MS – H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital announced that a $100,000 grant from the Dart Foundation has been awarded to The Foundation for Rush to be used for the H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital Emergency Department and Security Rehabilitation Project.

“We are very pleased and thankful to the Dart Foundation for this very generous grant that will have a major impact on the communities we serve,” said Michael Nester, Administrator of H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital. “In rural areas such as Clarke County, the Emergency Department is vital. The receipt of this grant will allow us to improve the overall safety and quality of care for individuals who access our emergency department.”

Cheri Barry, Executive Director of The Foundation for Rush stated, "It has been a pleasure to work with Dart Foundation. Their gift to the Foundation for Rush will improve and enhance quality health care and safety at H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital. Dart Foundation's tremendous financial support will affect the lives of the diverse communities that we serve.”

Specifically, these funds will be used to:

 Enhance Security

• Secure automatic doors into the Emergency Department with keypad
• Secure the Admissions area
• Install cameras in the Emergency Department waiting area
• Install badge access

Emergency Department Renovations

• Paint
• New floors and countertops
• New partitions
• New cabinetry in patient rooms for storage and workspace
• New chairs for the waiting area

Workflow Efficiencies

• Redesign of the nurses' station
• Private administrative office
• Private triage space
• Relocation and security of medication room

“The Dart Foundation is pleased to award this grant to The Foundation for Rush for capital improvements at H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital in Quitman,” said Emily L. Matthews, Dart Foundation Manager. “The health and well-being of the community is critically important and it’s essential that the hospital’s facilities are safe and conducive to serving the citizens in the area.”

ABOUT THE DART FOUNDATION: The Dart Foundation is a private family foundation established by Dart Container Corporation founder William A. Dart and his wife Claire T. Dart.  The Foundation supports projects that enhance education, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math, and those that improve the quality of life in specific communities.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR RUSH: The Foundation for Rush, an affiliate of Rush Health Systems, is a not for profit philanthropic organization that was established in 2015 to encourage charitable gifts that support and advance the quality of health care provided by Rush Health Systems. The Foundation for Rush connects the generosity of a caring community with opportunities to improve lives through better healthcare.

ABOUT H.C. WATKINS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND RUSH HEALTH SYSTEMS: H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital that provides a wide range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency services and is a division of Rush Health Systems, the largest, most diverse medical system in East Mississippi and West Alabama. With a 103-year legacy of medical innovation, quality care and service to others, Rush Health Systems is comprised of 7 hospitals and more than 30 clinics, with 250 staff and contracted physicians and 95 advanced-practice providers. Rush is the largest non-governmental employer in the region.  In addition to H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital, Rush Health Systems also includes Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, MS; The Specialty Hospital of Meridian, MS; Medical Foundation, Inc., Laird Hospital, Union, MS; Scott Regional Hospital, Morton, MS; John C. Stennis Memorial Hospital, DeKalb, MS, and Choctaw General Hospital in Butler, AL. For more information, please visit rushhealthsystems.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.