Jolana Montgomery-Matney, Executive Director of the Geary Community Healthcare Foundation, has announced plans for construction of the Rago Isolation Room in the Geary Community Hospital Emergency Department.

The project, funded by Ruth and Josephine Rago, is estimated to cost $49,000 for the construction of the safe room for mental health patients seeking treatment in the GCH Emergency Department.

“About 30 percent of people hwo are transferred from GCH are for mental health reasons,” said Joe Stratton, GCH Chief Executive Officer. “You can’t just turn those individuals out on the street when they are in need of treatment or help but we have to have a safe environment for everyone,” stated Stratton.

Isolation rooms remove any options for the patient who may want to harm themselves or anyone else. They are designed in a special way for patient safety.

Within the last year, leaders at GCH began discussing the need for ad safe environment for these patients, nurses and providers during their wait time to either be treated or transferred to a designated mental health facility.

“We knew there was certainly a need for a safe room at GCH but also understood the cost is substantial for a community hospital to afford,” said Matney. “We are very thankful for the donation from the Rago family,” said Matney. ” They are always willing to go above and beyond to address the needs of our community and are great friends of the foundation and GCH.”

The construction date has not yet been determined.