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The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has awarded TCMH grant money to replace the 39-year-old generator that powers parts of the hospital during a power outage.
“The old generator was always lurking in our minds, and we didn’t want to have it fail on us during a worst case scenario,” Jay Gentry, TCMH Healthcare Foundation director and overseer of the grant application process explained. “We knew we needed to do something to get a new generator.”
He explained that generators typically have a lifespan of 20-25 years, so it was past time for an upgrade.
The grant money comes from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
When there is a federally declared state of emergency within the state, FEMA issues money to SEMA and that money helps fund the rebuilding of communities after the disaster. The disasters can be anything from floods to tornados.
After the community or communities rebuild, SEMA has additional funds to put into projects to help prepare for and possibly mitigate the effects of future emergencies. Through a competitive grant program, SEMA then awards grant funds to organizations who are trying to prepare for future emergencies.
The grant money does not have to stay within the community that experienced the disaster, making Texas County eligible for this grant.
Additionally, the grant money does not have to fund a project related to the initial disaster. For example, in 2011, TCMH received this same grant to build the Jayson Gentry Community Safe Room. The funds used to build the safe room were a result of an ice storm in the northern part of the state.
“Some people may not realize that a backup power source is required by the state for a hospital,” Wes Murray, TCMH chief executive officer said. “Without a backup power source, we wouldn’t be able to even offer patient care in times where it might matter the most.”
For TCMH, a new generator means more reliable patient care in the event of a disaster.
“We don’t have to worry about having an old generator now, wondering if it will start when we need it to,” Gentry said. “It’s one thing to test the generator once a month for an hour or two, but it’s a whole different situation to have it power the hospital for, potentially, days.”
“Realistically, if our generator didn’t work in the event of an ice storm or other major event in the community, we are looking at a possible reduction in healthcare services and potentially transferring patients,” Gentry explained. “The nearest hospital to TCMH is about an hour away, meaning patients would have to travel a bit to get care that they might need.”
“SEMA considers hospitals critical facilities, recognizing the important of a hospital in the event of an emergency,” Gentry said. He added, “We can’t go without power in the event of an emergency; it’s not really an option.”
The total project costs for the new generator is $76,600. The grant awarded to TCMH was $57,450, making TCMH’s cost share $19,150. The budget also included money for a temporary generator while TCMH installs the new one.
“This generator is a big step in improving our patient care and ensuring the community can put their trust in their local hospital,” Murray explained.
TCMH has three generators that power the hospital in the event of a power outage. The generator the grant is replacing is the oldest one. The next oldest is 25 years old, and will need to be replaced soon as well. The third generator, installed with the renovation of the hospital, is only a few years old.
Gentry explained that the new generator will ultimately lead to better and more reliable patient care for the people of our communities, adding that he hopes to have the new generator in place before winter.