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MITCHELL COUNTY PRESS-NEWS, Osage, IA, Wed., March 16, 2011
New CT and remodeled emergency and surgery areas in the future for MCRHC Through advanced technology and process changes, Mitchell County Regional Health Center (MCRHC) continues to provide high quality health care to the residents of Mitchell County. For the next year, the organization has plans for redesigning the emergency and surgery departments and purchasing a new 32-slice CT unit. The more recent renovation projects at Mitchell County Regional Health Center have left the Emergency and Surgery areas mostly untouched. In January, the health center hosted a 5-day planning event where community members and MCRHC staff, including nurses and healthcare providers, created the new design for these departments, using life-size, 3dimensional mock-ups of the rooms. The architect was on hand to document everything so he could prepare blueprints once he returned to his office. The project will also allow for the creation of an infusion center for outpatient IV therapies and blood transfusions. All of the spaces were designed to provide better patient flow, more efficient delivery of high quality healthcare and patient privacy. Sandy Leggett, CEO at MCRHC, is very eager to begin the project, "People expect modern healthcare, even in rural areas. While we provide the very latest in healthcare technology and services, our emergency and surgery departments don't look very up to date. Rather than just giving the rooms a facelift, we are taking this opportunity to make things better for our medical staff, employees and, most importantly, our patients."
OSAGE TODAY 2011 SPRING PROGRESS EDITION
MCRHC will replace its current 16-slice CT with a 32slice CT unit in August 2011. It will provide images of internal organs and tissue in less time with a lower radi ation dose for patients. According to Leggett, the project timeline has not been set but renovations will not start until later in the summer, at the earliest. The health center also has plans to replace the current 16-slice CT with a 32-slice CT. CT or Computed Tomography, provides 3dimensional images of the body's internal organs and soft tissues used for diagnosing internal damage and disease. The upgrade from a 16-slice to a 32-slice CT will provide many benefits for MCRHC patients. The 32slice CT will be able to scan in about 1/3 of the time of the 16-slice scanner. This will reduce the amount of time patients have to hold their breath during the scan. The image quality of the 32slice CT is better, allowing for easier and earlier diagnosis. The health center is also purchasing special software
that will lower the amount of radiation that a patient receives when getting a CT scan. According to Radiology Manager, Julie Brown, the 32-slice CT scanner was the right fit for Mitchell County. "We considered several options. However, the 32slice CT will provide great benefits for our patients with faster scanning times and reduced exposure to radiation." According to Leggett, the health center will be investing approximately $490,000 in the new CT and $1,650,000 on the renovations to the Emergency and Surgery Departments. "We are really excited about all of the new things happening at MCRHC," said Leggett. "We are always looking at how we can improve the way we serve the county."
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VOL. 146 • NO. 11 • March 16, 2011