PCH Awarded USDA Rural Healthcare Grant

Pender Community Hospital recently announced that it has received a $1 million USDA Emergency Rural Healthcare Grant to increase its telehealth capabilities through an improved electronic health record (EHR) system. The current EHR will be phased out in December 2022.

The new EHR will provide seamless integration of all patient data, from scheduling clinic appointments and completing registration to results from diagnostic lab work and x-rays; the new system will also allow for the quick and easy electronic transfer of medical records.

“Since the start of the pandemic, our patients have looked to do more online, and our board and community is requesting a more developed patient portal and telehealth services,” said Interim CEO Shane Schuster. “Our goal in procuring our new EHR is that we can provide services to all patients, regardless of their location.”

The new system improves the access and timeliness of patient records, which is critical to providing rural patients quality care close to home. The cost of the new EHR includes not only the purchase of the system itself, but also the appropriate hardware and training necessary to optimize the new system.

About Pender Community Hospital District
Pender Community Hospital (PCH) has been providing quality healthcare in northeast Nebraska since 1913. The 21-bed critical access hospital (CAH) was recognized by the Chartis Center for Rural Health as a Top-100 CAH for three consecutive years, from 2019-2021. PCH comprises not only the hospital but also several clinics and apothecaries, as well as Prairie Breeze Assisted Living and Little Sprouts Child Development Center. For more information, visit pchne.org.