Hospital draws notice with new CT scanner

By PATRICK BUCHNOWSKI
The Tribune-Democrat

MEYERSDALE July 22, 2008 12:24 am

— A national magazine is featuring Meyersdale Medical Center’s radiology department in its summer 2008 edition, out this month.
Rural Roads magazine is focusing on the department’s new computed tomography scanner.
Medical center officials will detail how the $500,000 CT scanner works today at a 12:30 p.m. news conference.
In January, Meyersdale installed a new Siemens 16-slice CT scanner, replacing its single-slice scanner.
The new imager allows Meyersdale to perform high-tech scans such as CT angiography and pulmonary embolism chest exams.
“Our 16-slice scanner gives this region access to a remarkable piece of medical equipment,” Radiology Director Mark Meekins said in a statement. “Complex scans that we had to send to other facilities six months ago can be done conveniently at Meyersdale.”
The new technology also means less time for patients on the exam table and is built to accommodate patients up to 440 pounds.
“A nearby facility is referring their larger patients because they know our scanner is capable of handling larger individuals,” Meekins said.
Hospital President Mary Libengood said in a statement that the new scanner fits into her rural health philosophy.
“Patients in rural areas deserve the same access to medical specialties and technologies as those people living in urban areas,” she said.
Published by the National Rural Health Association, Rural Roads quarterly publication features rural health issues, human-interest stories and successful rural programs.