The Powell Hospital District was awarded a $255,277 grant from the State Loan and Investment Board. The grant — approved on Jan. 16 by Wyoming’s five statewide elected officials — provides half the funding for an upgrade to the emergency department’s cardiac monitoring equipment and 3D mammography equipment. The district will provide the other half of the funding.

In its application to the state, the district said the equipment was needed to improve patient safety and meet a standard of care. The cardiac monitoring equipment monitors several vitals, including cardiac status and oxygen needs. The department’s current system has reached the end of its lifespan.

The 3D imaging equipment has become the new standard for breast imagery. It offers fewer false positives than 2D mammography, which can cause undue stress for patients. The 3D system will improve cancer detection by 30% to 50%.

According to the application, if the state didn’t provide the funding, the district would have to dip into reserve funds to cover the cost of the equipment. In 2018, the hospital’s revenues exceeded costs, leaving it with a surplus of $385,165. However, last year, the surplus reached $1,495,623. While these were financially positive years for the hospital, it was the first time in more than five years it’s operated at a gain, and it has an outstanding debt and obligations totaling nearly $2.7 million.

As a critical access hospital, Powell Valley Healthcare cannot turn away anyone needing care, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay. In 2018, the hospital wrote off $2.6 million in bad debt, with a charity care write-off of $457,339.

Both the City of Powell and Park County Commissioners wrote letters in support of the grant.