Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Coroner offers below-market X-ray quote; commissioners question cost-effectiveness
Summary
Sheridan County's medical examiner presented vendor quotes for X-ray units (one quoted at $130,000 value or $30,000 sale price) but commissioners noted low recent usage (about $2,000 billed in nearly two years) and questioned whether buying a machine is justified versus continuing hospital use or outsourcing.
The county coroner/medical examiner (S1) presented updated vendor quotes for medical X-ray equipment and recommended outsourcing toxicology work while evaluating whether to buy a machine for local use.
"One vendor is offering a $130,000 value," the coroner said, noting the vendor's sale price was far below list price for a used or upgraded unit. Commissioners pushed back on purchasing expensive equipment when recorded billings for X-rays over the last two years totaled about $2,000; one commissioner (S4) said a $130,000 purchase would take many years to pay for itself and could harm the county's longstanding relationship with nearby hospitals that have provided the service.
The coroner argued that some forensic X-rays are appropriate to run in-house to avoid transporting remains and to document projectile fragments and fractures. Commissioners agreed to postpone a final decision and instead approved a $10,000 medical-supplies line to cover immediate operational needs while staff continue to evaluate equipment options and grant possibilities.
