The Geary Community Hospital Board of Trustees’ authorized the hospital’s CEO and CFO to enter into a lease agreement with First National Bank of Junction City for new MRI apparatus.

The $1.4 million dollar apparatus will be on a seven year lease to own, lease.

“What that allows then, is the opportunity at the end of the seven years, to buy that equipment for a dollar,” explained Darren Rumford, Geary Community Hospital CFO.

Construction is underway to prepare the new space for the MRI apparatus inside the hospital. The walls of the space must be specially secured due to the magnets inside the apparatus according to Dr. Joe Stratton, GCH CEO. “The walls have to be secured and shielded because of the machine itself and how it operates.”

Stratton also explained that more construction work will need to be completed to bring the new apparatus inside the hospital as well.

The cost of the construction is expected to be around $460,000. The Geary Community Healthcare Foundation has donated $350,000 of that cost. The remainder will be funded through the hospitals reserves.

Stratton expects the new system to be up and operational by mid-December. The new system will replace a current system that is housed outside the hospital building in a semi-truck trailer.