A company specializing in portable ultrasound procedures and the Audrain County Health Department (ACHD) have partnered to now offer these procedures in Audrain County. New Frontier Mobile Diagnostics, out of Kansas City, has set up shop at the health department twice a week, offering ultrasounds that are ordered for Audrain County residents by their doctors.
“We are so excited to bring this service to the residents of Audrain County,” ACHD Administrator and CEO Craig Brace said. “Ever since the hospital in Mexico closed over a year ago, residents have had to travel outside the county in order to receive such basic services like ultrasounds. This partnership will help to fill the gap that was created when the hospital closed.”
ACHD Medical Director Doctor Alexander Finck agrees.
“With the closing of the hospital, it really puts a strain on an already strained healthcare system in Audrain County,” he said. “Having this service back in the county will definitely help ease the burden both the medical community and the residents feel when it comes to providing a form of healthcare that is currently lacking but crucially needed.”
New Frontier Mobile Diagnostics offers six different types of ultrasound procedures that include: echocardiograms, thyroid exams, non-obstetric pelvic exams, vascular exams of the arms and legs and abdominal exams.
New Frontier CEO Jeff Blackwood says his company is also excited about the partnership with ACHD.
“We are so excited to be able to bring this technology to Audrain County and we can’t thank the health department enough for making this available to its residents,” Blackwood said. “We both believe in the protection of our customers and, especially with Audrain County losing its only hospital with these services last year, we feel it’s a very important relationship with ACHD we are proud to be a part of.”
Residents will come to the health department after setting an appointment with the company through their primary care physician’s office and the exam will take place in an enclosed exam room set up to house the portable unit, the technician and the patient.
“We are so happy to be a healthcare provider in Audrain County being able to offer this service again,” ACHD Clinical Manager Rebecca Wieberg, RN, said. “Hopefully, this will help area doctors receive diagnostic information much quicker. Now, doctors have to wait for the patient to get an appointment with a service in another community.”
The service will be available at the health department every Wednesday and Friday by appointment only. The exception are those Fridays that the Women’s, Infants and Children’s program is
being held at the health department. Appointments for the service will need to be set up through a resident’s primary care physician.
For more information, contact the ACHD at 573-581-1332 and ask for our Nurse Outreach Coordinator Jennie Beamer, RN or, visit our website at http://www.myachd.org.