Nevada Hospital Boosts Care With New MRI Suite

Story County Medical Center in Nevada, Iowa, has opened its inaugural MRI suite, marking a significant enhancement in local healthcare services. The new facility, completed over a year, features a 1,500-square-foot extension dedicated to the advanced imaging equipment. This addition aims to substantially reduce patient wait times and broaden the diagnostic capabilities available within the community.

The MRI scanner itself is a Siemens Healthineers wide-bore model, distinguished by a shorter tunnel designed to alleviate patient claustrophobia. It also incorporates an in-bore viewing system, offering patients calming visual content or music during their scans, which studies suggest can decrease the need for sedation by up to 80 percent.

This crucial upgrade was realized through a collaborative group purchase involving 18 UnityPoint affiliates. This strategic partnership helped Story Medical achieve significant cost reductions on the equipment, estimated to retail for over $2 million, by several hundred thousand dollars. The hospital, a critical access facility, faced challenges in qualifying for certain rural grants, making this group purchase essential for acquiring the necessary technology.