Members of the city government, Mercy Hospital employees and executives and other residents came together Thursday to observe the ceremonial blessing and ribbon-cutting on the new CT scanner at Watonga.
Bobby Stitt, hospital administrator for several Mercy facilities including Blaine County, said that the opening of the CT scanner was tangible evidence of not only the commitment Mercy has made to the community, but also of the commitment the community has made to Mercy by approving the recently passed sales tax extension earmarked for support of the hospital.
The CT scanner is installed in a new addition to the hospital and will take the place of the mobile unit housed in a semitrailer.
The uses of the scanner are myriad, said Kenny Thompson, director of operations at Watonga.
“A CT is vital for improved diagnosis, accuracy and timely patient care,” Thompson said. “ It can diagnose injuries, infections and internal damage. The building is a large upgrade to better serve the patients and the community.” He added that an x-ray shows a few views of an area, while a CT will show up to 1,500 views.
Once the building, scanner, facility and attendees were ceremonially blessed, the ribbon was cut. There are still a few paperwork hoops to jump through, like a final inspection from the state fire marshal, but within two weeks the CT scanner should be available to all patients in need of its services.