The Rotary Club of South Haven has awarded a $10,000 grant to Bronson Health Foundation to assist South Haven area residents with home healthcare and telemedicine needs.

The Rotary-Bronson Telemedicine Initiative will help people in need of care at home by providing durable medical equipment including pulse oximeters, diabetic monitoring supplies, scales and thermometers. It will also promote better access to care through telemedicine by providing tablets so residents can have virtual doctor visits and communicate electronically with their provider.

Funding for the first half of the grant was recently presented to the Foundation, with the second half scheduled for distribution in May.

“The COVID-19 pandemic really put a spotlight on the need for this type of assistance,” explains Dr. Richard Swanson, a member of the Rotary Club of South Haven’s board of directors and a retired rheumatologist. “A lot of people in our community live in rural areas and may not be able to get to a doctor’s office or may not have full internet access,” says Swanson. “These resources will allow people to monitor their health at home and give them continuity of care so they don’t have to make frequent trips to a physician’s office. In the end, this could help reduce hospitalizations and allow some that are hospitalized to go home sooner.”

Distribution of the resources to patients will be managed through Bronson South Haven medical practices. “This initiative is a great example of how Bronson and the community can come together to remove barriers to access,” says Liz Semaan, executive director, Bronson Health Foundation. “We are so thankful to the Rotary Club of South Haven for making this a priority project to assure the greater South Haven community is supported.”