The Central Peninsula Hospital is requesting approval from the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly for a $1.5 million allocation for the next phase of the imaging upgrade project.
Chief Executive Officer Rick Davis with the Hospital detailed what the newest allocation from their Plant Replacement and Expansion Fund will go toward…
Davis: “So this phase is to purchase a new MRI and a SPECT/CT which will replace our Nuclear Medicine camera. So we’re replacing our old MRI in our radiology department and then we’re replacing our Nuclear Medicine camera with the SPECT/CT which is the new technology for nuclear medicine.”
He says that new camera technology reduces the amount of radiation used in the imaging by the current Philips Forte Jetstream Nuclear Medicine Camera.
Davis noted that the hospital did just install an MRI machine in the brand new Specialties Clinic on their campus, however, this new MRI machine being requested has a lower power magnet. That means patients with implants such as pacemakers will be able to get imaging without the high power magnet interfering with any artificial objects.
The imaging upgrade project has been ongoing since 2011 but Davis says they figured it would be better to phase in the new equipment purchases.
The ordinance containing the funding request is up for public testimony at the April 5 Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting.
