Delta Memorial Hospital CEO Leah Osbahr and Consultant Cooper Lewis spoke about the available services currently offered at the hospital at the April Dumas Chamber of Commerce April 5, 2022.
Delta Memorial Hospital presented the program and hosted the luncheon. DMH CEO Leah Osbahr spoke about the many services the hospital offers. She talked about Jessica Garriott, Nurse Practitioner in the wound care program that helps would that are difficult to heal to heal faster. Osbahr talked about Swingbed program at DMH and that it provides occupational, physical and speech therapy for patients who need extra care after being released from the hospital.
Cooper Lewis, Physical Therapist and consultant, is in Dumas to help develop the best swingbed practices in Delta Memorial. What Osbahr and Lewis are trying to establish is a dedicated gym space with top of the line equipment and a dedicated swingbed therapy staff. Lewis talked about recruiting staff in the areas of occupational, physical and speech therapy that offer care five days a week. This is the first time Speech therapy is available in Dumas. They have weekly care plan meetings to discuss each individualized patient plan of care.
Physical Therapist addresses the transfers and the patient's arm strength and ability to walk. Occupational Therapy addresses patients' ability to dress and groom themselves and their motor skills. Speech Therapy for cognition as well as speech and voice impairments. The current speech therapist is certified in VitalStim Therapy that helps her provide care to improve a person's ability to swallow or determine what kind of diet the patient can handle.
“ We are trying to meet the discharge needs of the patient from day one,” Lewis said. “We are just so excited to have that to offer here in our community. We have been doing this for a few months now. We wanted to make sure we had everything in place before we marked this to the community. We are finally here and we are starting to see an excellent outcome. A Swingbed stay in an excellent opportunity for someone to get really intense therapy from hands-on caring therapist that is going to provide excellent care.”
The Chamber of Commerce voted to approve the March Chamber Minutes and Financial Statement.
UAM College of Technology: Bob Ware, UAM College of Technology Chancellor, reported the school is registering for Summer I & II Classes and Fall class. The college received a request from the City of Dumas for UAM-COT to offer English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes at the Dumas Adult Ed Center.
Economic Development Committee: Heather Harris reported for the Economic Development Committee. The committee is hosting a luncheon for local industries Thursday, April to talk about how they can help with employment issues. Harris and Judy Day attended an Economic Development meeting in Hot Spring.
Main Street Dumas: Sammye Owen introduced Susie Norris as the new director of Main Street Dumas.
City of Dumas: Mayor Flora Simon spoke about attending the first group counseling session held Tuesday, April 5, 2022. There were two group therapy sessions held that day. Street paving had begun with a change from Choctaw Street to Farmer Street. Farmer Street will be paved from Hwy 65 to Cherry Street. John Street will have to be completely stripped and repaved along with some ditch work. The first two streets to be redone will be from Palmetto to Pistachio. There are drainage problems near the armory, the engineer for the Winchester Project will be working on that project. The Mayor said one thing that makes a project difficult is that they are putting fences on the sewage line and that home owners need to be careful where they put their fencing. Simon said she asked that any events that occur in town be run through the mayor's office. She asked anyone planning an event that will be helping the community to deal with the shooting event so that one event won't be overlapping another. Dumas has 6 parks.
The city finally received the ordered equipment, it will be installed when there is good weather and the old equipment removed. Magnolia Park will have new equipment and the old swimming pool repurposed. They are hoping to have Memorial Park's new equipment and restrooms up by October once plans are approved by the state. They are talking about redoing the walking trail as a later project if funds are not available. She also spoke about the ARDOT grant and how the money could be used to create side walks on Dan Gill Drive or widen the walking trail in Memorial Park. She asked for suggestions for what the grant could be used for.
Desha County: Judge Richard Tindall reported the possibility of Desha County getting a new industry. The industry will take garbage and convert it into electricity. It creates a residue that can be applied to county roads. The roads are in a variety of conditions based on weather conditions. Tindall spoke about the Delta Heritage Trail bike trail and how it can bring in income from tourism. A bridge will also be built on the White River that will be bicycle accessible. An overlook on the Mississippi River will be dedicated in the near future.
DePaul Community Health Services: Lisa Goodgame that DePaul has been busy in the community. They have been working with the Arkansas Department of Health and the Arkansas Minority for a health fair in Gould. They were also invited to Parent Engagement Night at Central Elementary where DePaul's dentist showed students how to brush their teeth properly. DePaul is working with local churches. They are still giving Covid Vaccines and boosters to those who need them. They also have plenty of free Covid home testing that can be picked up at the clinic. They are looking for sponsors to sustain the blessing boxes.
New Business: Dub Byers spoke about his new book and where people can get a copy. The Dumas Sports Association is hosting a free community Easter Egg Hunt Sunday, April 10. Desha County Collector Lisa Hutchinson talked about literature placed on the tables to get old tax information. March 31, a sale was held to auction off delinquent lands and after 30 days, any remaining properties will be sold by online auction.
