| Feb. 15, 2005
Timothy Larson
re-elected president of MGHS Board of Trustees
Board approves $3.6 million in purchases at January meeting,
including a second MRI
Timothy
J. Larson of Marquette says the challenges that face health care
in 2005 are many.
Yet, the president of the Marquette General Health System Board of Trustees,
re-elected to his third term as president in January, says that Marquette General
remains committed to offering the finest available health care that Upper Peninsula
and northeast Wisconsin residents have grown to expect.
Timothy J. Larson
“Marquette General has been a very stable and progressive healthcare provider,” Larson
said. “To accomplish this, we need to constantly update and invest in our
human resources, technology and equipment.”
Larson said that if Marquette General is to remain in position to provide the
highest quality, cutting-edge healthcare services, it must wisely invest in
technology while addressing challenges related to rising pharmaceutical costs
and shortfalls in reimbursement from a majority of insurance providers.
“We live in an era of uncertainty,” said Larson, general manager/co-owner
of the Holiday Inn in Marquette. “The problems facing health care are complex,
and we would be naïve to think we’re immune from them.”
Recognizing its commitment to patients and to the best that health care has
to offer, the Board of Trustees has approved the purchase of more than $3.6
million in four major capital projects for 2005, including:
| · |
A
second Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) device. An MRI is
an imaging modality used primarily in medical settings to
produce high-quality images of the inside of the human body.
Cost: $2.67 million |
| · |
Intensity
Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) software used in radiation
therapy for cancer patients. IMRT combines computer and linear
accelerator technology to deliver a carefully shaped beam
as the beam gun moves around the body, hitting the tumor
at every angle. This enables the radiation oncologist to
attack cancerous tumors without damaging surrounding cells.
Cost: $524,000. |
| · |
Emergency
Department Information System (EDIS), a state-of-the-art
wireless electronic medical records system that allows emergency
department staff to automate processes including triage,
patient tracking, lab orders, physician and nurse documentation,
and discharge instructions. Cost: $500,000. |
| · |
MRI-guided
breast biopsy, the latestnon-surgical advancement in diagnosing
breast cancer. Women undergoing this revolutionary procedure
can have the area biopsied in 30 minutes without ever leaving
the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suite and without undergoing
surgery for a diagnosis. It is the only one of its kind within
a 300-mile radius of MGHS. Cost: $55,000. |
Larson said
the Board recognizes the long-term value for these capital purchases.
He
added the region will benefit immensely with
the development of a new Emergency Department/Level II Trauma Center.
The 60,000-square-foot addition, scheduled to open in July, will
house a new 20,000 square foot Emergency Department and Trauma
Center, support space, and 30,000 square feet for future expansion
of outpatient services. It’s under construction west of the
hospital’s existing eight-story patient tower.
The new addition will feature 22 private emergency and trauma treatment rooms,
a 24/7 Urgent Care Center, and monitored observation beds.
“The new ED/Trauma Center will be an outstanding addition to our health
system,” Larson said. “We’re confident that patients and their
families will appreciate its enhanced size, added convenience and greater privacy.”
The ED/Trauma Center development, Larson noted, provides another example of
the Board’s continued commitment to invest in state-of-the-art equipment,
supplies and technologies to provide patients with the high-quality services
they have come to expect at Marquette General.
“We continue to work cooperatively with our medical staff and its leadership
for the benefit of the thousands of patients we treat,” he said.
Paulette Lindberg will continue to serve as the Board vice-president, Richard
R. Schaefer as assistant secretary and treasurer and Wayne A. Johnson as secretary.
The Board also comprises Mark A. Aho; Mark L. Callaghan, MD; Monsignor Louis
C. Cappo; Howard Cohodas; Ken Davenport, MD, Chief of Staff; Stephen C. Mattson;
Larry Lewis, MD; Lois A. Michelin; the Rev. Paul A. Weber; Dr. Les Wong; and
K. Charles Wright, MD.
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