Auxiliary Purchases Global-Med Equipment
Patty Goodwin, President of the Beauregard Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and other members of the organization recently had the opportunity to view the GlobalMed Telemedicine Station. The Auxiliary purchased the equipment for the hospital, totaling $12,808.08, to offer mental health telemedicine services to the community.
According to MHA (Mental Health America), nationally, fifty-seven percent of adults with mental illness receive no treatment, and in some states that number increases to seventy percent. Sixty-four percent of youth with depression do not receive any treatment. Even among those with severe depression, sixty-three percent do not receive any outpatient services. Only twenty-two percent of youth with severe depression receive any kind of consistent outpatient treatment. Louisiana ranks forty-three out of fifty-one for positive outcomes for patients with mental health issues.
Beauregard Memorial Hospital encounters patients with mental health issues on a regular basis. The GlobalMed Telemedicine Station will allow the hospital to provide evaluations of patients with mental health issues. Evaluations will be conducted by a mental health professional via the telemedicine station and will help with placements of patients in appropriate facilities that can best meet their needs.
Since 1980, the auxiliary has donated $296,000.60 to the hospital to be used toward the purchase of life-saving medical equipment. Volunteers pictured are Kristal Fults, ER Director, Frances Jean, First Vice President, Patty Goodwin, President, Anita Thibodeaux, CNO, Darrell Kingham, CFO, and Bill Pace, Treasurer.