(Wheeler, OR) – Our region’s only skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility – the Nehalem Valley Care Center in Wheeler, Oregon – has received a $50,000 grant from The Oregon Center for Nursing that will allow the facility to substantially update the Care Center’s electronic medical records system.
By updating the current, outdated system the care center will improve efficiency and further develop its medical charting practices toward Best Practices. Additionally, the new system will reduce strain on the care center clinical staff by allowing them to chart with more ease and leave their shift on time.
“This generous grant from the Oregon Center for Nursing benefits both our dedicated staff and the residents they care for,” said Erica Knepper, RN and Chief Operating Officer of Canyon Wren, the Oregon operator of long-term care facilities that operates the Care Center. “We are always looking for ways to improve quality and use cutting edge practices when carrying out the health care experience for our residents, which in turn improves the wellness for our staff. This grant addresses both of those critical goals and aids our overall effort to renovate and modernize this vital community facility.”
The Care Center employs 50 staff, including nurses, certified nursing assistants and medication aides.
The Wheeler facility is the only facility of its kind on the Oregon coast between Astoria and Newport, providing 24-hour skilled nursing care to patients, as well as rehabilitation services.
Voters of the Nehalem Bay Health District, which owns the Care Center, approved earlier this year a bond measure that will fund renovations and modernizations of the facility. With the recent closure of the bond sale that renovation work can move forward, including structural improvements, remodel of patient rooms and enhancements that will improve the experience of patients and staff.
“We are deeply appreciative of the community support that allows us to maintain and improve the Care Center, a truly vital local health care facility serving a growing senior population,” said Marc C. Johnson, president of the Health District board.
The Care Center is located at 280 Rowe Street in Wheeler. For more on services and employment opportunities visit: www.nehalemcarecenter.com
