Hospital to lease new automated drug dispensers

POMEROY–The Garfield County Hospital District board of commissioners approved leasing new automated drug dispensers, and discussed patient visitation policy and bidding on the hospital electrical project at their meeting on July 10.

The automated drug dispensers currently used at the Garfield County Memorial Hospital will become obsolete in 2025. The GCHD board of commissioners approved the lease of a new set of Pixus brand dispensers, as well as a Dell server. Monthly rent for the dispenser system is $3,718, and there will be a one-time fee of $1,000. The system has an 18 month lead time before it will arrive at the Hospital.

A Pomeroy resident approached the board with concern over why he was asked not to visit a patient and how his telephone number was acquired. Hospital Co-CEO Mat Slaybaugh stated that the Hospital is honoring a patient request not to visit, and has no problem with him visiting as long as the patients want to be visited. Slaybaugh said he will check with objectors and see if they have changed their stance. There was no record of how the phone number was acquired, but Co-CEO Jayd Keener stated that it may have been obtained from contact information records at the Pomeroy Medical Clinic. Slaybaugh also denied calling the Garfield County Sheriff's Office about the matter.

Advertisement for bidding on construction of the electrical project is beginning, Specifications can be found in the legal section of the July 13 and 20 editions of the East Washingtonian. Bids will be opened on August 1 and presented for board approval at the next scheduled meeting.

The board has contracted with the law firm Randall Danskin for general counsel services.