Intermountain Saltzer Health is donating 11 electrocardiogram (EKG) machines to Idaho-based non-profit Faith and Humanity Missions to use for humanitarian patient care at hospitals in Honduras.
An EKG machine is used to monitor heart rhythms and is a key to helping clinicians assess many cardiac-related issues and diseases in patients. Saltzer Health caregivers were in the process of bringing in new machines and wanted to find a way to get continued use for the ones being replaced.
“These machines still have decades of use left in them and when we found out there was a local non-profit who could benefit, we wanted to help,” said Tom Hunt, cardiology director for Saltzer Health. “It’s easy to take for granted how important an EKG machine is to our everyday medical care, and it’s good to know these will make a big impact on saving lives for patients in Honduras.”
Faith and Humanity Missions helps medical professionals and volunteers from the Treasure Valley, Idaho and Eastern Oregon travel to Central America and bring healthcare to underserved areas.
Part of that mission includes bringing medical supplies and equipment to make sure people in Central America get the best care possible.
“We treat patients in some of the most underserved areas of Central America and even basic medical supplies are expensive and hard to find,” said Jose Miguel Bolanos, MD, board member for Faith and Humanity Missions. “A large donation like this will go a long way in helping people get the lifesaving care they need.”
In areas like Honduras even basic medical needs which go untreated can lead to serious problems causing loss of livelihood or even death, said Dr. Bolanos.
The machines are planned to be shipped to Honduras next month and will used by Faith and Humanity’s Missions’ medical staff during their humanitarian next trip to Honduras.
About Intermountain Healthcare
Headquartered in Utah with locations in eight states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with some 3,900 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called SelectHealth with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For more information and updates, click here
