Harney District Hospital secures $2.4 million Catalyst Grant to modernize rural healthcare tech
By Mindy McKerrall on Thursday, July 16th, 2026 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
HARNEY COUNTY-In a major boost to healthcare accessibility and patient safety in frontier Oregon, Harney District Hospital (HDH) has been awarded a $2.4 million Catalyst Award grant.
The highly competitive funding will drive a comprehensive technological overhaul at the hospital, connecting vital patient-care equipment directly with communication and alerting systems. The initiative—officially titled the Patient and Nursing Communication and Safety through Technology and Data Modernization project—aims to improve real-time situational awareness, reduce response delays, and support safer care delivery across inpatient, emergency, and obstetric (OB) settings.
Harney County spans over 10,000 square miles, making it one of the most geographically isolated regions in the United States. As a designated Critical Access Hospital, HDH serves as the sole healthcare anchor for this vast frontier area.
The $2.4 million award is part of Oregon’s broader Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Backed by $197.3 million in first-year federal funding, the RHTP is administered by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to stabilize critical care and expand access in rural communities. HDH’s project was selected from a highly competitive pool; only 85 of the 353 statewide applicants received a portion of the $80.1 million set aside for Catalyst Awards.
“Our Catalyst project directly addresses locally identified needs to improve patient safety, strengthen emergency response capabilities, reduce fragmentation across care settings, and support frontline healthcare staff,” said Bob Gomes, CEO of Harney District Hospital. “By modernizing clinical communication infrastructure… HDH will strengthen rural healthcare delivery, improve operational sustainability, and preserve access to safe, high-quality local care.”
A substantial portion of the grant will focus on equipping nursing units with cutting-edge inpatient monitoring and communication systems.
Wi-Fi Enabled “Smart Beds”: New beds equipped with built-in sensors will continuously track vital signs (like heart rate and respiration) and instantly alert nurses if a high-risk patient attempts to get out of bed, dramatically improving fall prevention.
Integrated Nurse Call & Phone Systems: The hospital will install an updated nurse call system fully integrated with its Electronic Health Record (EHR) and new mobile communication devices, ensuring critical alerts reach the right caregiver instantly.
The funding is also set to transform HDH’s Obstetric (OB) Department, ensuring local families have access to state-of-the-art maternity care without having to travel hours to urban centers.
The OB modernization will introduce:
- OBIX Fetal-Monitoring System: Provides continuous, real-time data flow directly to the hospital’s EHR, giving the entire care team an immediate, updated assessment of mother and baby.
- Hugs Infant Protection System: An advanced security setup designed to offer the highest level of physical safety and tracking for newborns in the unit.
- Panda Warmers: Advanced all-in-one newborn workstations. These devices supply even, gentle heat to stabilize a baby’s body temperature while offering built-in scales, integrated X-ray trays, resuscitation equipment, and continuous vital sign monitoring.
