Hospital getting mammography machine

ENTERPRISE — Plans are being made to get a new occupant for the former building of Wallowa Memorial Hospital.

What’s more, the new hospital plans to have a new state-of-the-art mammography machine available this fall.

There is no timetable, but discussions have been ongoing for Wallowa Resources to occupy the old Wallowa Memorial Hospital building.

Numerous details need to be worked out, he said.

One daunting task is to wade through the state bureaucracy to get approval.

Another requirement for which plans are being made, is to construct a two-hour firewall between the now-unoccupied section and the adjacent nursing home.

Changes are also being planned for the new hospital.

At Monday’s health district board meeting, directors approved the purchase of a new $352,000 digital mammogram machine to replace the analog film machine with which the hospital has had some past problems.

As far as capital purchases go, the hospital had already committed to having a new $250,000 cardiac monitor installed and operating by Sept. 1.

The new mammogram machine will be scheduled to be purchased, installed and operational by Oct. 1.

Some $110,000 will come from the hospital foundation and its annual dinner/auction.

“This is the best technology available and has better diagnostics than the present machine,” Harman said.

At the meeting the fiscal year 2009-2010 budget was adopted for $17,335,972. That is $507,000 more than the current year.

The property tax rates are $1.0497 per $1,000 of assessed value for operations. The local option tax is $0.75 per $1,000. The latter will expire within three years.