Foundation Focus Areas

SCHOOL NURSING

The Foundation funds full time, professional nurses and aides in eight elementary schools in the Holland Public and West Ottawa school districts. These medical professionals do much more than treat bumps, bruises and tummy aches. They screen for vision and hearing impairments, dispense needed medications to children with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes or allergies, assist children with disabilities, provide medical referrals and assist in diagnosing other medical conditions. 

School nurses partner with school staff in providing healthy lifestyle education and promote healthy choices in diet and exercise. They also act as counselors in times of trauma and are often one of the first adults to recognize signs of neglect or abuse. Often, these caring professionals are a child’s only access to needed medical care.

THE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER

The Community Health Center, located in Holland's core city on River Avenue, serves people who are uninsured or under-insured and have no other avenue to access health care services. By giving the “working poor” access to preventive care, serious health conditions can be avoided. The Health Center has identified three major areas of need:

Women and Children’s Services – These services cover prenatal care, well-baby checks, immunizations, women’s preventive care, and screenings.

Diabetes Clinic – Identified as one of the most prevalent conditions among adults, diabetes services screen for the illness and provide lifestyle education and access to needed medications and testing supplies that can help prevent serious complications. 

Elder Care – As our population ages, the Health Center is seeing a dramatic increase in older adults needing services associated with the natural aging process. The Center not only provides needed medical care, but assists patients in obtaining needed medications.

COMMUNITY NURSING

The outreach department of the hospital is currently researching a model for a Community Nursing pilot program. The program's purpose is to provide nursing care and medical access to the underserved population in areas of our community where other organizations are present. This model will partner with area food banks and other nonprofit organizations such as the Holland Rescue Mission to provide medical services at their current sites.