On Tuesday, Watsonville Community Hospital announced the installation of new MRI and CT imaging systems, purchased with funding from the Measure N bond, both of which will be available for patient use later this month.
The new equipment replaces the aging equipment that was increasingly unavailable and did not offer the diagnostic capabilities available through newer systems, said CEO Tim Moran.
In the year preceding the board’s approval of the new equipment, the existing CT scanner was unavailable for 28 days and the MRI scanner for 18 days.
Upgrading X-ray, MRI and CT systems is a key component of Measure N’s proposed hospital improvements.
According to Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board Chair Tony Nuñez, community polling was an important part of developing Measure N.
Measure N, a $116 million bond approved by almost 70% of voters in 2024, was created to purchase the hospital property and upgrade its facilities and equipment.
The bond outlines specific goals for improving the hospital, which included purchasing the hospital property.
Physicians at the hospital advocated for new imaging equipment to help them diagnose patients better and faster than the previous equipment allowed.
“We know that when [physicians] are happy and have the tools to take care of our patients, then the patient outcomes are much better,” Nuñez said.
The equipment selection was the result of a substantial clinical and technical review, with WCH technologists and leadership visiting more than 10 facilities before making a final decision. According to Moran, the team was looking for real-world functionality, patient comfort and equipment that meets the hospital’s needs.
Moran pointed to the hospital’s new CT scanner, which provides spectral imaging that captures additional information about the composition of what is being imaged. The MRI scanner uses technology designed to provide physicians with high-quality images while making the examination faster and more comfortable for patients.
On the patient end, Nuñez said the scanner was chosen with comfort in mind and is designed to lessen the impact on people who are claustrophobic.
“The new diagnostic imaging systems will expand services, reduce delays, improve outcomes and reflect the community-focused mission of our hospital,” Moran said.
Though referrals for outpatient imaging are difficult to project, WCH expects to see at least a 10% increase for CT and MRI services in the coming months.
The board fully utilized the $12 million it set aside for the purchase and installation of new imaging equipment. Nuñez estimates that around $50 million has been spent overall, leaving a little over half of the $116 million available for use.
The bond limits the hospital to spending on fixtures, or items that cannot be moved from a hospital.
So far, funding has been spent on new imaging equipment, purchasing the Watsonville Community Hospital, preliminary work on the emergency room renovation, installing energy-efficient and cost-effective LED lighting and fixing general wear and tear.
“I’m just really excited that our community decided on and voted overwhelmingly to tax themselves to fund these things and that we’re delivering on that,” Nuñez said. “This is exactly what the community wanted … it’s great to be able to reciprocate some of that love they show to us by delivering on these projects that they invested their money into.”
The hospital received state licensing approval for the technology on Sept. 2. Physicians can begin ordering these diagnostic screenings later this month.
