| Hospitals
to hold CT open houses
Clearwater Valley Hospital, Orofino and St. Mary’s Hospital, Cottonwood, are both holding Open Houses to celebrate the installation of their new CT scans. SMHC’s is planned for Wednesday, September 22. CVHC’s is scheduled for Thursday, September 23. Both will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and will feature information about CT scans, a free Pocket Pal first aid kit and refreshments. Radiology staff will be available to answer any questions. “We’re inviting the public to join with us in celebrating the acquisition of our CT scanners,” said Casey Meza, CEO, CVHC and SMHC. “We’ve offered CT services in the past through a mobile service, but we’re very proud to now have them permanently available on site so we’ll be better prepared to meet emergencies and provide for the greater convenience of our patients. People will no longer have to drive to Lewiston for this service.” CTs create a clear picture of structures within the body and are used for diagnosing such conditions as strokes, coronary artery disease, appendicitis, bowel obstruction, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, herniated discs and lung cancer. The CT equipment at SMHC will be housed in a newly constructed building in the former clinic parking area. At CVHC the CT will be housed in the old ER space which has been renovated to accommodate the equipment. Both scanners were purchased from Philips Medical Equipment Company. “Because the two hospitals partner we were able to reduce the cost of the equipment and training,” said Meza. “In the future, we’ll share staff, calibration costs and expertise between the two facilities to ensure the success of the service.” Staff at both facilities participated in week long on-site training by the equipment manufacturer. The costs of the scanners were underwritten by a federal appropriation for CVHC through Senator Mike Crapo and through two generous bequests at SMHC. Hospital receives funds for new ambulance The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Emergency Medical Services Bureau, recently awarded St. Mary’s Hospital $82,500 towards the purchase of a new ambulance. These funds included allocations for a radio and a new gurney. 
A local committee is developing the specifications for the new vehicle which is slated for arrival in March, 2005. It will replace the older of the two current ambulances. The oldest ambulance is 14 years old and has over 100,000 miles. The newer ambulance is six years old and has 70,000 miles of service. According to Pam McBride, SMHC grant writer, the State Office of Rural Health may also be contributing $3,000 towards furnishing the new vehicle. “These funds are designated for Critical Access Hospitals for improvements of their EMS coordination.” SMHC operates its EMS services without additional tax revenues on a fee-for-service basis. “We depend on grants, bequests, donations and fund raising to help us purchase new equipment,” said Casey Meza, CEO. “This community has always been very supportive of our programs and services. Because of this support we are able to provide excellent health care within this region.” The local volunteer EMTs are always looking for additional members to serve the community. Specialized training is provided. If you would like more information, please call Angie Ahlers, EMT Secretary, SMHC, 962.3251. |
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