ST. FRANCIS GETS GO-AHEAD FOR NEW MRI

St. Francis Medical Center Monday got the green light to replace its magnetic resonance imaging system, a $1.7 million expenditure.

Before a hospital can purchase equipment that costs more than $400,000, approval is needed from the Missouri Certificate of Need Review Committee. The committee unanimously approved the request.

This was the second time the medical center made the request. The committee denied a request in October 1995, for replacement of the MRI unit.

Thomas Piper, director of the Certificate of Need program, said, "From our standpoint this was a similar -- but not the same -- proposal."

James Sexton, president of St. Francis Medical Center, said the deciding factor was a change in the criteria the committee used in making its decision.

In 1995, the committee stuck solidly to a utilization standard of 4,000 annual images per machine, and St. Francis didn't meet that criteria.

In Missouri only three hospitals meet the 4,000-uses standard. The review committee is re-evaluating 4,000 as a standard. "The committee realized their standard probably wasn't realistic for the rest of the state," Sexton said.

St. Francis wants a new MRI because its machine is 6 years old.

"Technical advances have rendered this one not as effective as we need, particularly with a heavy neurosurgery practice," Sexton said.

MRI technology is used primarily in neurology and orthopedics. In 1996, St. Francis did 2,875 MRI procedures.

Included in the $1.7 million is some preparation and construction work for the room.

St. Francis owns the MRI unit in use now. It will be used as a trade-in on the new machine.

Certificates of Need are issued for equipment purchases of more than $400,000, capital improvements of more than $600,000, or the addition of long-term-care beds. Expenditures must relate to direct patient care.