The Weston County Hospital Board approved purchases of a Veritas 56100 chemistry analyzer and a Philips CT scanner and authorized a fundraising campaign — with a back-up borrowing authorization — to cover the remaining unfunded balance.

Board members said management had negotiated a donor-funded package that would cover most of the cost but left an outstanding amount that the hospital must raise or borrow. The board voted, by voice, to approve the purchases pursuant to terms negotiated by management and to initiate a campaign to fund the unfunded balance. The board also authorized management to seek financing for any remaining amount not covered by fundraising.

Why it matters: The equipment is intended to expand local diagnostic capacity; the board described the purchases as time-sensitive because negotiated pricing and additional equipment offers would expire if not secured. The donor committed roughly $500,000 to the package, but the CT price and associated items leave a shortfall that the hospital must address before final payment is due.

Details and votes: During discussion management described having signed paperwork to lock the purchase price and a favorable interest rate for potential future borrowing but said no binding purchase payment had yet been made. The board passed three related motions in sequence:
- Approval to purchase the Veritas 56100 chemistry analyzer pursuant to terms negotiated by management (mover recorded in minutes: Nathan; second: Benjamin). The motion passed on a voice vote.
- Approval to purchase the Philips CT scanner pursuant to terms negotiated by management (mover recorded in minutes: Nathan; second: not specified). The motion passed on a voice vote.
- Approval to initiate a fundraising campaign for the unfunded balance of the CT machine and authorization to borrow any amount needed to complete the purchase if fundraising falls short (mover/second not specified in the transcript recap). That motion passed on a voice vote.

Financial figures discussed in the meeting: managers said the Veritas analyzer was priced at about $182,000 and the CT package at roughly $495,000, which included approximately $65,000 of additional equipment obtained as part of the negotiated deal. The donor had agreed to provide about $500,000 split between the lab analyzer and CT package; after applying the donor funds to both items the board was told there remained something on the order of roughly $180,000–$200,000 to be raised or financed for the CT scanner.

Board and staff direction: The board instructed management and the CFO or finance designees to pursue community fundraising and simultaneously seek the best available financing options so the hospital can meet vendor timelines and secure the negotiated pricing. Legal counsel (Allison) was asked to review any financing contract before final execution. Board members emphasized that any final purchase and borrowing decisions should be documented in minutes and return to the board when commitments are finalized.

What’s next: Management will move ahead with fundraising outreach and will return details on proposed financing terms, timelines and any donor conditions to the board. Vendor delivery timelines were described as several months out, giving the hospital a window for fundraising and lender shopping.