LATEST IMAGING TECHNOLOGY COMING TO ROCKDALE

ROCKDALE HOSPITAL DISTRICT BOARD MEETING (1-29-07)

Rockdale, Texas (January 30, 2007) – Rockdale Hospital District met Monday night and approved a motion to move forward with the construction of a modular building to expand and improve facilities and patient care at Richards Memorial Hospital.  Scott Tomhave, Vice President of Construction at Blackhawk Healthcare, stated that a “modular building is much more economical and efficient than the original plan to remodel the emergency department.”  The modular building expansion will be constructed in three phases.  The first phase, a CT/MRI suite, will begin construction immediately with an estimated completion date of the end of March or early April and will include a new Toshiba 64-slice CT scanner.  A 64-slice CT scanner is the latest computed tomography (CT) imaging software and machinery available.  “This technology will dramatically improve the way we are able to treat patients with suspected coronary disease and chest pain at Richards Memorial Hospital” explained Dr. John Weed, III, Little River Healthcare System Medical Director and Rockdale Hospital District Chairman of the Board.  The new CT/MRI suite will also include MRI, ultrasound and nuclear medicine, as well as a PACS system and CR machine which will allow images to be digitally stored and provide the availability of physicians to view those images on the web.  The second phase of the expansion project includes a new emergency department with 8 beds and the third phase is a new 24-Hour Clinic with 9 exam rooms.  The current emergency department has 5 beds and the current 24-Hour Clinic has 6 exam rooms, both with very limited lobby/waiting areas.  “These additions will show improved patient care at Richards Memorial Hospital through more efficient, timely, and patient-friendly processes, as well as the latest, up to date technology and facilities” stated Jeff Madison, CEO of Richards Memorial Hospital.  The timeline for the total modular building expansion, from start to completion, is 12-15 weeks.

In other business:

Reports were made to the board explaining an increase in emergency department visits, but a decrease in admissions and inpatient days for the month of December.

Dr. Weed reported that ALCOA, Inc. made a $3,000 donation to the Richards Memorial Hospital Auxiliary that could possibly be used toward landscaping projects and a healing garden at the hospital.

Numerous emergency department physicians were approved, including Mark Feeney, MD, Dennis Hines, MD, Brent Coleman, MD, Don Gustafson, MD, and George Lowe, MD.  Also approved in the meeting were new specialty physicians, David Cuellar, MD, urology, and Franklin Chen, MD, internal medicine.  Dr. Cuellar is now seeing patients in Rockdale and Dr. Chen is seeing patients in both Rockdale and Cameron.

Longtime orthopedic specialist, Dr. Lawrence Coleman submitted his resignation to the Medical Staff last Thursday due to medical reasons.  As a tribute to Dr. Coleman and his excellent record with Richards Memorial Hospital, the Medical Staff chose not to accept his resignation, but to give him a new status as part of the medical team at Richards Memorial Hospital.