New high-tech CT scanner approved for MMH

A new CT scanner was approved by the East Phillips County Hospital District Board of Directors at a special meeting Tuesday, Sept. 10.

The current scanner lease ends Dec. 31, and the replacement is not only brand-new, it’s a big step up too.

Melissa Memorial Hospital CEO Trampas Hutches said after the meeting that it is a new 64-slice Siemens go.All with state-of-the-art features that will allow MMH to perform many new exams, such as cardiac angiograms and cardiac calcium scoring. It will perform scans in half the time, too. It also has a large dose reduction over the current scanner.

“We are excited to get this scanner as it will be the only 64-slice scanner in our area,” said Hutches, noting it has the option of being upgraded to a 128-slice scanner in the future with minimal hardware changes.

The lease is $10,800 per month.

The new scanner replaces a 16-slice GE Brightspeed that MMH paid $9,000 per month for. It was not brand-new when the hospital got it.