SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., -Thanks to the value of teamwork, patients who use walkers in Regional West Medical Center’s acute rehabilitation unit are able to take an additional step to independence with the recent donation of over 500 walker bags to the unit.

In a collaborative effort, Regional West Medical Center provided the material, Scottsbluff Screenprinting donated the time and materials needed for screenprinting and Scottsbluff High School consumer science students constructed the bags. The bags attach to the front of walkers and are easily accessible for the walker’s user.

According to Nancy Sakurada, a Scottsbluff High School consumer science instructor, students not only used the skills they learned in sewing, but also the value of teamwork and how to put together an assembly line. The patients who receive these bags will gain greater independence and will not have to rely on someone else to get and carry small items.

Regional West Health Services, with over 1,400 employees, provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people and communities of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming. With over 110 active physicians, 95 percent of whom are board certified or board eligible, plus an additional 25 consulting specialists, we offer care that spans more than 40 medical specialties. Regional West Medical Center, a subsidiary of Regional West Health Services, is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and is one of only three Level II Trauma Centers in the state of Nebraska.