Rural hospitals receive isolation gowns from Simms

Interim CEO Larry Putnam reports Phillips County Hospital recently received 10 isolation gowns for use during the COVID-19 outbreak from the Montana Hospital Association (MHA). MHA distributed 400 of the isolation gowns manufactured by SIMMS Fishing Products to small hospitals across the state. These reusable isolation gowns were made using a technical two-layer and three-layer waterproof, breathable fabric donated by Mervin Manufacturing. Phillips County Hospital is one of 40 Critical Access Hospitals to receive the gowns, which were paid for through a grant from the Montana Bioscience Fund.

“While Montana has had a successful public health response to COVID-19 to date, we are not out of the woods yet,” said Rich Rasmussen, president, and CEO of the Montana Hospital Association. “Until we have a vaccine, the testing capacity we need, and contact tracing infrastructure to contain future cases, Montana must remain vigilant. Montana hospitals will not rest, but will continue to shore up our preparation for the next lightning strike of cases to hit our state.”

Rasmussen says due to their size and low volume of orders during typical, non-pandemic times, Montana’s rural hospitals have faced heightened challenges acquiring personal protective equipment. Hospitals have shortages through cooperative in-state arrangements, aggressive group purchasing, and coordination with the Governor’s Coronavirus Task Force.

“Through our connections at the State level, we learned about the need for PPE in our rural communities,” said Diane Bristol, SIMMS Fishing Products Director of Employee & Community Engagement. “Montanans are resourceful and want to help our neighbors. With the donation of fabric from Mervin Manufacturing, we can support these communities and folks on the front line of the COVID-19 crisis.”

COVID-19 can wreak havoc in a rural community where small hospitals work with small staffs and care for a higher share of older, at-risk populations than do their counterparts in bigger towns or cities. The pandemic has had nearly three times the impact on Montana’s Toole County than Los Angeles County, California, according to data collected by The New York Times.