The Healthcare Workers’ Compensation Fund, managed by Inspirien, is thrilled to announce the 2024 Grant Program recipients. Our grant program, a testament to our commitment to enhancing employee safety and reducing workers’ compensation exposures within member facilities, has made a significant impact. This year, our recipients will share $100,000 in grant funds, bringing the total awarded since the program’s inception in 2017 to over $538,000.
We commend these outstanding organizations for their unwavering commitment to fostering safer work environments for their employees. Join us in celebrating the following grant recipients:
Huntsville Hospital Foundation: The Kids Care Lift project will provide a replacement Power-LOAD stretcher to transport children from 23 weeks gestation to 21 years old from Central Tennessee and Alabama to their facility for critical, life-saving medical care. Huntsville Hospital, one of the region’s only full-service pediatric emergency departments, pediatric ICUs, and NICUs, is also one of just six St. Jude’s Clinic affiliates in the country. This stretcher can support neonatal isolettes weighing up to 350 pounds, reducing strain on emergency workers during transport and providing additional lighting to the surrounding area when needed for safer mobility.
Rehab Select Hillview: The funds will be used for their upper body injury prevention project by purchasing two Arjo patient lifts, new lift pads, and ergonomically designed vital sign machines. This equipment will help reduce staff repetitive bending, which contributes to most of their workers’ compensation claims. Staff will be trained on the new equipment, and compliance will be measured and reported weekly, monthly, and annually.
Rehab Select Talladega: Their project involves purchasing five patient lifts and fifty lift slings to reduce and prevent employee strains related to transferring and positioning bariatric residents. Approximately 40% of their residents require lifts for assisted transfers. Staff will be trained on the new equipment, and compliance will be measured and reported weekly, monthly, and annually.
Troy Regional Medical Center: Since converting their L&D unit to an 18-bed geriatric psychiatric unit, several modifications have been made to enhance employee and patient safety. This project will create a customized door between the nurse’s station and the patient area to limit unauthorized access and provide a safe retreat for employees when needed.
Washington County Hospital & Nursing Home: This project will redesign the emergency department registration area to enhance security. The current desk will be replaced with bulletproof glass, creating a more secure entry to the facility.
Congratulations to these outstanding organizations and their exceptional work in promoting employee safety! Together, we are building a culture of safety that ensures a secure future for everyone, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact of these projects.
For more information on how to apply for next year’s grant program, visit our website, hwcf.net, or email Lisa Rawlings at lrawlings@inspirien.net.