New, Advanced Imaging Technology Now Available at Incline Village Community Hospital, Thanks To Fundraising Efforts & Helmsley Charitable Trust Grants

Incline Village Community Hospital’s (IVCH) patients can now utilize the same level of state-of-the-art CT & X-ray technology available at healthcare leaders like Stanford and UC Davis.

The technology from Siemens is widely considered the best and fastest in the diagnostic imaging world. IVCH’s new 128-slice CT scanner, the SOMATOM X.cite, is powered by intuitive navigation that seamlessly guides technicians in providing the highest level of accuracy, imagery clarity, and patient comfort.

In addition to the new CT scanner, IVCH acquired a ceiling-mounted X-ray system, the YSIO X.pree, that includes a 3D cameral for patient positioning. It is the first radiography system to offer an interface that guides the technician through the exam workflow, improving the patient experience and the efficiency of imaging process.

Since coming online earlier this month, the team at IVCH has noted a marked improvement in patient satisfaction and an increased speed of exams and image processing.

“Rural medicine has unique challenges. With the availability of advanced imaging technology, we can arrive at a quicker diagnosis,” said Dr. Laning Andrews, Emergency Medicine physician at IVCH. “Ultimately, better technology ensures better patient outcomes.”

The purchase of this elite radiologic equipment is made possible thanks to diligent years of fundraising by the IVCH Foundation. Led by Karli Epstein, Executive Director, the Foundation raised over $7 million dollars for the project from rural healthcare grants from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, as well as generous local hospital supporters.

When the Helmsley Charitable Trust added Nevada as the eighth state in its Rural Healthcare Program, it provided 10 Nevada hospitals with more than $11.3 million in grants to help purchase state-of-the-art diagnostic and radiology equipment. Of the $11.3 million, the Incline Village Community Hospital was gifted $1.8 million to purchase the new CT scanner and X-ray system.

“We are excited and proud to be able to offer our North Lake Tahoe communities the same state-of-the-art technology found in large urban centers,” says Harry Weis, President and CEO of Tahoe Forest Health System. “We are grateful for the exceptional fundraising efforts of our Foundation team, as well as the broader efforts by the Helmsley Charitable Trust to expand access to rural healthcare in Northern Nevada.”

IVCH patients can also look forward to 3D mammography equipment coming in the summer of 2024, thanks to a $1.9 million grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust and significant community support, including net proceeds from this past summer’s The Beach Boys Benefit Concert. The Helmsley grant – the largest charitable gift ever made to IVCH – and private philanthropic support will cover the cost of the equipment, as well as renovation and staffing expenses associated with the new service offering.

“Long travel times to a facility offering mammography greatly limits access to breast cancer screening, particularly for women living in rural areas like Incline Village,” said Walter Panzirer, Trustee for the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “This grant will increase access to mammography breast cancer screening, which improves early detection of breast cancer and increases survival rates.”

Read more about the services at Incline Village Community Hospital, including information on diagnostic imaging and locations, here.