Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
The new emergency room setup at Santiam Hospital & Clinics will feature a separate pediatrics room because of a grant the hospital has received.
The Oregon Community Foundation’s Doris J. Wipper fund has awarded the hospital foundation $150,000 for the pediatrics facility, which will allow Santiam to support a dedicated pediatric room in the emergency department expansion project.
The number of pediatric patient visits at the Santiam Hospital emergency department currently is at 14.5% of all patients and is projected to increase as the Santiam Canyon area continues to grow, Eric Pritchard, executive director of the Santiam Hospital & Clinics Foundation, explained.
“This grant will support important work in our community enabling the Santiam Hospital’s emergency department to have a dedicated pediatric room available,” Pritchard said in a statement released by the hospital.
“This space will include specialized pediatric equipment including an infant warmer and materials to create a child-friendly environment. We look forward to furthering this work in our community, and we are grateful for the OCF/Doris J. Wipper Fund’s generous support.”
Pritchard said the hospital hopes to open the new emergency department in the fall of 2024.
The $6.5 million expansion will double the size of the emergency room, which has seen a 40% growth in patient load during the 2020-2022 three-year cycle.
The hospital foundation has received a $1 million grant from Marion County and a $1 million private donation as the key pieces of the fundraising campaign, Pritchard said.
