The Powell Hospital District is applying to the state for funding that will help upgrade the emergency department’s monitoring system and purchase three-dimensional mammography equipment.

The request will go through the State Loan and Investment Board; if approved by Wyoming’s five statewide elected officials, the grant will provide $255,277 towards the upgrades and new equipment — covering half the total cost. The remainder will come from the Powell Hospital District budget.

Hospital officials say the emergency department’s cardiac monitoring equipment — a system for monitoring patients’ vitals — has reached the end of its lifespan.

“It’s fallen out of the standard of care,” said June Minchow, director of emergency and critical care services.

Meanwhile, the mammography equipment is the new standard of care for breast imagery; what it can do is very impressive, Minchow said.

“It’s amazing. You can do a full 3-D image of breast tissue,” she said.

However, hospital officials say they’re unable to afford the full cost of the upgrades without sacrificing other vital equipment purchases for the facility.

Powell Valley Healthcare representatives planned to do a presentation on the purchases for the Park County Commission this month, in hopes of getting the commissioners to sign a letter in support of the grant.

There was a mixup in scheduling that left the representatives unavailable for their scheduled time slot with the county board, but commissioners concluded that they didn’t need to hear from the hospital before backing the project.

“Approval of this application will ensure that the project can be funded and will further ensure the ability of the [Powell Hospital] District to meet the healthcare needs of the Powell community, Park County and the surrounding communities in the future,” says the commission’s letter to the state board, adding that the county board gave the proposal “careful review.”

The commission called the Powell hospital “a vital entity within our community.”

“We’re grateful for the Park County Commission’s support, as well as the support we’ve received from Powell Mayor John Wetzel and the Powell City Council,” Minchow said.