Levi Community Foundation recently awarded a $90,000 grant to LifeNet EMS to help purchase a wheelchair-accessible transport van, the organization said in a news release.
Following the closure of Levi Hospital, the Levi Community Foundation Board of Directors was made aware of several challenges in transporting behavioral health patients outside of Hot Springs for care.
“One of LifeNet’s behavioral health transport vans was nearing 400,000 miles and required frequent maintenance, and the organization did not have a wheelchair-accessible transport van to accommodate patients with mobility needs,” the release said, noting the grant agreement was approved by the board in July of last year.
“These limitations created delays when serving patients with mobility needs and placed additional strain on emergency response resources. As transportation demands increased, the high-mileage van was required for more frequent use, highlighting the need for a reliable, accessible replacement.”
A nonprofit EMS provider, LifeNet serves approximately “350,000 people across Northeast Texas, Southwest Arkansas and parts of Oklahoma.”
“In addition to emergency response, LifeNet regularly assists with non-medical transportation needs and other charitable acts when community members require help, even when those situations fall outside traditional emergency responsibilities,” the release said.
“The new wheelchair-accessible van will improve response times, increase efficiency, and allow LifeNet to transport behavioral health patients more quickly and safely. The vehicle replaces the older high-mileage behavioral health transport van and will also support broader community needs as they arise.”
Levi Community Foundation Executive Director Libby Harrington said the grant reflects the community values the organization was founded upon as well as answers a practical need in the community.
“This new wheelchair-accessible van will help behavioral health patients reach care more quickly while also supporting the broader community when charitable needs arise,” she said in the release.
“Transporting wheelchair-bound patients without the proper equipment requires extra time, added cost, and constant problem solving. We are grateful for LifeNet’s willingness to step in and help wherever they are needed, and we are proud to support work that makes an already demanding job a little lighter,” she said.
The grant will help strengthen the growing support in Garland County for behavioral health patients, Harrington said.
“With National Park Medical Center opening an adult behavioral health unit in Hot Springs, and with the addition of this new transport van, patients will have greater access to timely and appropriate care close to home. Together, these efforts represent meaningful progress for behavioral health in our community,” she said.
LifeNet CEO Alyssa Moore thanked the organization for the grant for a replacement vehicle.
“We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Levi Community Foundation for their generous donation of a wheelchair-accessible van,” she said in the release. “This partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration in advancing community health and accessibility. The new vehicle provides our Arkansas team with the appropriate means of transportation to better serve patients, ensuring comfort, dignity, and continuity of care for those who rely on our services.”
The organization noted in the release the grant is unusual in that it “is not a source of emergency funding,” but the first public grant cycle for the foundation will open April 20 for nonprofits serving Garland County. Eligibility requirements and application guidelines are available at http://www.levicares.org/grantmaking.
LifeNet was recently awarded a $90,000 grant from the Levi Community Foundation to help purchase a wheelchair-accessible transport van. (The Sentinel-Record/Gwen Kudabeck)