Petersburg’s first MRI machine is almost ready to begin operating. The medical imaging device has been built, but the hospital must first complete a state certification process before scanning its first patients.
The MRI is in the Wellness, Education & Resource Center, or WERC building, which is the first building on the hospital’s new campus. Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter said that before construction began, the hospital surveyed what community members wanted in the new space.
“One of the services that came out over and over again … was the MRI.” Hofstetter said. “It’s a fairly common referral recommendation, and it’s an inconvenience to really try to get it done.”
When a patient in Petersburg needs an MRI scan performed, they have to travel out of town to get it. Having this MRI machine available at the local hospital will reduce that barrier to care in Petersburg.
The hospital used federal grant funding for both the construction of the WERC building and the MRI machine.
That MRI was built in Petersburg late last year, but the hospital is still waiting on a state regulatory process called a Certificate of Need before it can be used to scan patients. According to the Alaska Department of Health website, the Certificate of Need process “helps plan and manage the growth of healthcare services in Alaska by making sure new projects meet community needs, avoid unnecessary duplication, and control costs.”
Before the state decides whether or not to approve the certificate, it first needs to collect community input and hold a public hearing.
The hospital has been asking community members to share their comments. The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously passed a resolution showing its support for the Certificate of Need during a meeting on Jan. 20.
Hofstetter said he doesn’t know how long approval will take after the comment period, but he hopes it will be soon.
He said waiting on the regulatory process has brought some silver linings. It gave the hospital time to work through issues and create backup power systems after recent winter power outages brought the MRI offline temporarily
“So, if we had the MRI online before that, we probably would have had to cancel patients when those interruptions occurred,” Hofstetter said. “I’m glad we actually have a chance to work through some of these issues.”
The Petersburg Medical Center is taking public comments on its website through Feb. 1. The public hearing for the Certificate of Need will be held via Zoom on Feb. 4 at 11:30 a.m.
