SCOTLAND COUNTY, Mo. (WGEM) - The Scotland County Hospital officials announced Wednesday the hospital has received new X-Ray machines.

According to the hospital, the new mobile X-Ray unit was purchased with money from the American Rescue Plan ACT (ARPA) funds with the help of the Scotland County Commissioners.

“It’s a lot faster if you need to get an X-ray for any part of your body and it’s just a help to the hospital and the community also,” said Presiding Commissioner Duane Ebeling.

Ebeling said that he was informed of outdated equipment in the hospital when the commissioners started looking into ways to help out.

“We want to keep the hospital updated with their equipment,” said Ebeling. “Besides, we were told that the X-ray equipment in the hospital, they could hardly find parts for it anymore because it’s been there so long.”

The new Canon brand portable X-Ray machine replaced the old one manufactured in 2004.

The new Canon brand portable X-Ray machine can help eliminate transporting patients within the hospital and limit their movements. In situations involving critically ill or injured patients, transporting them for chest, skeletal or abdominal X-Rays to the Radiology Department could lead to more complications.

Additionally, the ability to do imaging at the patient’s bedside can limit the spread of diseases like COVID-19. The portable unit is primarily used in the Emergency Department and Medical/Surgical Floor. Occasionally it goes over to the Operating Room.

“This new machine is really great,” said Mike Smith, RT(R), X-Ray Tech at Scotland County Hospital. “It maneuvers so much easier than our old machine. It’s just more user-friendly than our other machine.”

In addition to the new portable machine, the Imaging Center at Scotland County Hospital also installed a new room-based X-Ray machine. This room was renovated to accommodate the new machine and accompanying technology. The new machine offers extensive flexibility that the old machine and room did not.

The new X-Ray table has an elevating float-top table to serve the needs of patients of all sizes and mobility. The new room-based unit is on a lease agreement with Canon.

“Any opportunity that we have to increase the quality of care that we provide is one that we take. Both of our new X-Ray machines improve the quality of care to the patients and increase the efficiency and comfort of our staff conducting the X-Rays. “ said Deanna Rowland, RT(R)(M)(CT), Radiology Supervisor. “The new ability to raise and lower the table, as well as float the table from side to side, with a foot lever, is a real improvement to our old X-Ray table.”

You can check out more information about the SOLTUS® 500 Mobile Digital X-Ray System.

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