Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Forensic Center Equipment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hamilton County staff urge purchase of CT scanner for new forensic center; service funded by state grant
Summary
Medical examiner staff described how a CT scanner will speed imaging and reduce full-body X-ray time; county staff said purchase and an 8-year service contract would be paid initially from a state grant and that ongoing service costs are expected at 8–12% annually. The commission deferred formal action to a future meeting.
County medical examiner staff described plans to buy a CT scanner for the new Hamilton County Forensic Center and said a state grant will cover initial service costs.
Tim Carroll, office manager for the Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s Office, told the finance committee the CT scanner being proposed ‘‘can do it in 2 or 3 minutes,’’ contrasting that with the multiple full-body X-rays the office currently must take and stitch together to simulate three-dimensional images. Dr. Steven Cogswell, the county’s chief medical examiner, joined Carroll in describing the equipment as a significant time-saver for routine postmortem imaging.
The resolution before the committee (Resolution 1225-20) would accept a Phillips Healthcare proposal for purchase and installation of the scanner for $475,439.05, plus an 8-year service contract and extended warranty totaling $496,336.32. Carroll said the first-year service contract will be paid from the grant that funded construction of the forensic center; staff estimated ongoing service agreements for this class of equipment typically run 8–12 percent annually.
Commissioners asked where the money would come from; staff said the scanner purchase and the initial service contract will be covered by a state grant tied to the forensic center project and that no local matching funds were required for this grant. A commissioner sought confirmation on grant source and whether any county match was necessary; staff replied the funds were COVID-related state grant money and that the award covered the scanner and related service for the initial period. No final vote was taken; the committee deferred the item to a future meeting for formal action.
The committee did not take formal action on Resolution 1225-20 at the meeting; staff said they will return with the item for a future vote.
