The Delta Regional Authority announced a $150,000 investment Wednesday that will help build a new surgery area and on-campus tornado safe room with educational programming space for Texas County Memorial Hospital.
The new surgery area will replace an antiquated facility allowing the hospital to revitalize its surgery unit and provided much needed upgrades to this vital patient care unit.
Through support from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), the project will also include a 4,000 square foot tornado safe room that will protect the hospital’s patients, caregivers, family members, staff and community members during tornados and other natural disasters. TCMH is the first hospital in Missouri to receive funding from FEMA for a tornado safe room.
“The Delta Region Authority has made a large investment in the Care for Your Future project at Texas County Memorial Hospital, and we are very grateful,” said Wes Murray, CEO at TCMH. “We appreciate their understanding of the importance of providing a safe place for our employees, patients and visitors and the importance of advancing the healthcare services available to the citizens of our county and the surrounding areas.”
When not in use for disaster management, the room will be utilized for health-education programming to include the hospital’s “Healthy Kids” program and breastfeeding classes for new mothers. The room will also be available for community health screenings and use by other public entities in the region.
The investment comes as Missouri has recently seen incredible damage from tornados and powerful weather events. The new surgery center will increase the hospital’s capacity to meet the medical demands of a disaster as well as serve the daily needs of the residents of south-central Missouri. The safe room will further secure the hospital as a vital community resource in times of disaster.
“Access to state of the art healthcare is crucial to building stronger, healthier communities,” Chairman Chris Masingill said. “This investment not only ensures access to healthcare and education for a large portion of south-central Missouri but also provides residents with a safe place to go when disaster strikes. These kinds of investments are what build our communities and improve the lives of the people in our region.”