Marketing and Community Relations
Boundary Community Hospital
Thank you to the Fry Healthcare Foundation and their Festival of Trees for raising the funds to add a Mobile Ultrasound Machine to the Emergency Department at Boundary Community Hospital.
“This is a welcome addition to our Emergency Department toolbox,” says Hospital CEO Craig Johnson. “As a Critical Access Hospital, we need to stay current on technology that will save the lives of the people who depend on us to provide those services.”
According
to Dr. Stu Willis, Emergency Department
Director, “Ultrasound devices have shrunk to the
point where they are now handheld and can be
used in the emergency department for easier
triage, faster interventions for acute events,
and better monitoring. In time-sensitive
emergencies you need tools like this that can be
brought to the patient for faster diagnoses. For
example, we can immediately see if a lung has
collapsed and address the situation quickly and
efficiently. Our friends and neighbors in
Boundary County will benefit from having this
state-of-the-art equipment available, if
needed.”Ultrasound (or “Sonography”) is a procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to show what is inside your body. Similar to sonar used in ocean research, the ultrasound emits sound waves which pass through the body, which is 90% water. The sound waves bounce off tissues and organs and an echo is sent back to high-speed computers which use the echo to create an image. This results in a very detailed examination, which aids the physician in a diagnosis. In addition, some information is displayed using color Doppler images and includes accurate blood flow measurements. This is called color-flow Doppler. An ultrasound examination is fast, with very little discomfort. No radiation or x-rays are necessary.
“The support and generosity of the community for the Fry Healthcare Foundation directly impacts the high quality of care provided by Boundary Community Hospital," said Fry Healthcare President Carol Julian. “Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Festival of Trees such a success and giving us the opportunity to provide the hospital with this vital piece of equipment. The 2015 Festival of Trees raised over $40,000 which we are using to purchase the Mobile Ultrasound and other equipment for the Emergency and Rehabilitation Departments.”