Marble Falls hospital lands $1 million in federal funding for new CT scanner
Officials from Marble Falls, Burnet County, and Baylor Scott & White pose for a photo with a large check alongside U.S. District 31 Rep. John Carter (black cowboy hat). BSW Marble Falls President Tim Ols (left) stands beside Burnet County Judge Bryan Wilson, Carter, Marble Falls Mayor John Packer, Pct. 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery, Marble Falls Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Christian Fletcher, Marble Falls Assistant City Manager Russell Sander, and BSW Greater Austin Region President Jay Fox. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
The Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Marble Falls will soon be getting a new computerized tomography scanner thanks to $1 million in federal funding acquired with help from U.S. District 31 Rep. John Carter. The new machine should drastically improve healthcare and continue to reduce the need to drive to Austin for critical treatment according to hospital officials.
The hospital, located at 810 Texas 71 in Marble Falls, currently only has one CT scanner, which limits the facility’s ability to treat immediate threats of stroke or severe trauma. With two scanners on site, officials say that the hospital will be far better equipped to handle the growing need for fast, reliable treatment without having to refer patients to Austin-area medical centers.
“We’re taking care of folks that are very far from healthcare, and this is just one stop, and hopefully we can take care of them here without them having to go into Austin,” BSW-Marble Falls President Tim Ols said during a press conference at the hospital on Friday, Feb. 6. “Many people drive an hour just to get to Marble Falls, let alone go to Austin.”
According to Ols, the new CT machine will be purchased using the funding secured by Carter, which was helped by letters of support from local officials.
Marble Falls Mayor John Packer also acknowledged the benefits of improving a hospital so close to home.
“It’s great to have Baylor Scott and White here and continuing to add more services,” he said during Friday’s press conference. “Today is another landmark point where we are going to add some more services that many people will be able to use here in Marble Falls rather than having to go to Austin or Lakeway.”
Carter, who also attended the conference, followed up the event with strong words of encouragement for Marble Falls and its hospital.
“In rural communities, access to timely medical care can make all the difference,” Carter wrote in a Feb. 9 media release. “When someone shows up in the emergency room with a serious injury or stroke symptoms, they shouldn’t have to wait longer for imaging or be sent miles away for care. This investment helps make sure families here can get the care they need, when they need it, close to home.”
Matthew Gerdes, the BSW Marble Falls manager of imaging operations, explained to DailyTrib that this new machine would be used on a daily basis and help streamline treatment, especially in the cases of strokes and trauma.
“Currently, if we have someone with a stroke come in, we have to put whatever patient we have on the table off and they have to wait for their scan,” he said. “It’s really going to save time, and that is critical when you’re talking about stroke and trauma.”