Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - PeaceHealth 3100 Tongass Avenue, Ketchikan AK 99901 Project Director: Eric B Blake Phone: 907-228-7636 Fax: 907-228-8539 www.peacehealth.org Requested Grant funds: $600,000 PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center (KMC) is a critical access hospital serving multiple remote, island communities in southern Southeast Alaska, including Ketchikan, Metlakatla, Prince of Wales Island and the more than 1.5 million travelers who visit annually. As a critical access hospital, KMC serves as the hub for triaging and treating patients in a 5,100 square mile region. The closest facility offering a higher level of care is in Bellingham, Washington, and necessitates a 2-hour life flight. Having access to reliable, industry-leading diagnostic technology is critical to quickly and thoroughly diagnosing and treating those who live in and visit our region. PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center is applying for $600,000 from the CPF/CDS: Facilities and/or Equipment Construction Projects HRSA-23-117. This funding will be used to help purchase and install a new computed tomography (CT) scanner. CT is critical to modern emergency medicine and is used to detect and treat a variety of conditions. KMC’s current CT scanner is nearing the end of useful lifecycle, requiring frequent maintenance and downtime. CT downtime often requires medical transport of patients hundreds of miles off-island for life-saving imaging studies and associated care. KMC is undertaking a project to provide the region with a new, state of the art computed tomography (CT) scanner and associated imaging suite. The project encompasses the purchase and installation of a new CT scanner and includes remodeling approximately 1,300 square feet of existing space within the medical center adjacent to the imaging and emergency departments. The new CT scanner will provide best-in-class features including enhanced cardiac and orthopedics imaging capabilities, allowing additional studies to be done locally, reducing the need to travel off-island for diagnostic care. The CT imaging suite will incorporate advanced safety and environmental features such as UV disinfection, dedicated Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) and ceiling lift. Grant funds will be used specifically towards the purchase of the CT scanner. PeaceHealth will fund the remaining equipment and construction costs. Construction of this new imaging suite and installation of a new CT scanner will provide the community with two key benefits: 1. Redundancy. Pending Alaska CON approval, PeaceHealth intends to keep the existing CT scanner operational as long as feasible, providing backup imaging capability in the event of unplanned outage or planned maintenance requiring downtime. This will prevent medical transport off-island due to CT availability. 2. Enhanced imaging capability. Newer technology allows enhanced cardiac and orthopedics studies. This will keep more patients local for these imaging studies, reducing cost to patients and payers alike. CT has become an absolute necessity as a diagnostic tool in modern emergency medicine while also serving as a critical diagnostic tool for detecting possible tumors, cardiac abnormalities and orthopedic injuries. Sustained access to this vital tool provides security and peace of mind, ensuring that those who live and visit southern Southeast Alaska can continue to thrive with the highest standard of healthcare.
