Rural Healthcare
Medical emergencies can be especially frightening for residents of
rural communities. They often rely on volunteer First Responders and
Emergency Medical Technicians to have the critical training and
up-to-date equipment to stabilize their condition so they can be safely
transported to a hospital.
In the early 1980s, Iowa was experiencing a farm crisis that placed a
strain on rural communities to fund their own emergency medical
services. In response, St. Luke's Foundation established the Rural Healthcare Endowment Fund to strengthen healthcare in rural areas. The
Foundation reached its initial $150,000 endowment goal through corporate
and individual donations. Once the endowment was established, grant
requests for rural communities continued on an annual basis.
Since its inception, the Rural Healthcare Endowment has awarded over
$275,000 in matching grants to support emergency medical services in
Benton, Cedar, Delaware, Iowa, Johnson, Jones and Linn counties. Medical
equipment and training made possible through these grants include: CPR
compression devices, defibrillators, ambulance upgrades, training
mannequins, pediatric advanced training, etc.
Most First Responders/EMTs in rural areas are volunteers. The
equipment and vehicles they use are not usually funded by local taxes -
they depend on donations to cover operating expenses. Donations to the
St. Luke's Rural Healthcare Fund will help ensure critical equipment and
training is available to our rural communities.
Learn more about how you can support rural healthcare.