Medical training mannequins, business incubator among LSA funding requests
If the county’s two independent hospitals are successful, they could soon be providing some sophisticated medical mannequins to first responders and other local groups to simulate realistic environments for disaster training and instruction on handling other emergencies.
On Monday, Gary Weinstein, chief executive officer of Washington Health System, and Louis Panza, president of Monongahela Valley Hospitals, co-presented the idea before the Washington County Local Share Panel, which kicked off two days of hearings for applicants from the county’s nonprofit sector for funding from slots revenue from The Meadows Casino.
Weinstein and Panza said their organizations are requesting $600,000 in LSA funds toward a $1.29 million project that would enable first responders, schools and health care agencies to use the robotic mannequins to realistically train people in how to deliver babies and perform other emergency medical procedures.
The project, known as Centers for Community Education and Training, was one of 77 proposals the LSA panel will hear over the next two days, from groups seeking funding for projects in four categories: Public Interest (35 entries); Community Improvement (33); Economic Development (5); and Job Training (4).
Panel Chairman Jeff Kotula, president of Washington County Chamber of Commerce, said there is about $6.5 million in LSA funds this year.
Under the Economic Development category, the panel heard a request from Washington & Jefferson College for $492,270 toward a $3,008,195 incubator for use by small business start-ups from the college and residents of Washington County.
The incubator building is being provided by the Observer-Reporter, which is offering its former circulation building on South Main Street to the college rent-free for 10 years.
“People will be able to rent space in the incubator and take advantage of pro bono services” to help them launch new businesses, said Julie Throckmorton-Meunier, W&J’s foundations and corporate relations officer.
She said the long-term goal will be to have “graduates” of the incubator eventually rent space for their businesses downtown. The college will seek the bulk of its funding for the project through individual donations and from foundations. Under the community improvement category, the Lemoyne Community Center requested $406,000 to build a new kitchen for the preparation of meals for children attending the center’s programs.
It was noted that the center is the third-largest food program for children in the Pittsburgh region.
Not all of the requests were for triple-digit amounts.
On Monday, the panel heard from Washington County Watershed Alliance, Penn State Extension and Donora Borough, which hope to construct a community garden on Second Street in Donora. The group is requesting $26,250 in LSA funds for the $77,524 project.
The LSA funding requests follow an October ruling by the state Supreme Court that would require state legislators to find a more equitable way of funding LSAs. Casinos pay millions of dollars to the communities that host casinos, but the court agreed with a complaint filed by Mt. Airy Casino that the current funding scheme for LSAs is unconstitutional.
While the court gave legislators 120 days to resolve the issue, lawmakers adjourned their session without a solution.
The LSA panel will continue its hearing requests at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the public meeting room in Courthouse Square.