The Greenwood County Hospital (GWCH) Board of Trustees met on Aug. 28. In her CEO report, Sandra Dickerson informed the board that GWCH had not been awarded the Patterson Family Foundation grant for the purchase of a new mammography machine. There had been over 800 applicants for the grant. Dickerson proposed that GWCH go ahead with purchasing the new equipment through a leasing option instead. “We see this as a huge need for our community and patients,” said Dickerson. Currently, patients are facing up to a six-month wait for mammography appointments, which is causing many of them to go elsewhere for the service, she said. “In preparation for obtaining the equipment, we are starting to get a staff member trained,” Dickerson told the board. Radiologic technologist Hailey Broyles is in training now, she said. The board approved moving forward with the lease, which is expected to total $335,000 for a five-year agreement with monthly payments of $8,706.85 and will include a service contract for the full duration.
Another need Dickerson reported is a new sonography machine. A sonography or ultrasound machine is used to create detailed, real-time images of internal body structures using high-frequency sound waves rather than radiation. This technology is required almost daily at GWCH. According to Dickerson, the cost of the equipment is expected to be around $65,000. Dickerson requested to use funds in the board account to purchase the equipment outright rather than using a lease deal. The board approved the request.
