St. Luke Hospital will be able to provide dexa scans after the board of directors of Marion County Hospital District #1 approved the purchase at Thursday’s board meeting.

Dexa, Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry, is the most commonly used test for measuring bone mineral density. It is one of the most accurate ways to diagnosis osteopenia or osteoporosis.

Joe Pickett, radiology department director, said he was offered a deal from the distributor where the hospital could purchase a “top of the line” model at a moderate price.

The purchase price of the model that the hospital board approved was $48,000. Of that, Pickett said there was $35,000 worth of software.

Although there is not a high demand for the testing, it will be one more test available at the local hospital instead of patients driving to larger hospitals for the testing or having the testing available one time a month in a mobile van unit.

Pickett hopes to provide 24 tests per month but 12 per month would cause the hospital to break even with the investment.

In other business:

• A debt capacity study was approved by the board for a maximum of $2,500. BKD, the hospital board’s auditors, had offered to provide a focused study based on the proposed master plan of renovations and new addition.
• The hospital board supported the continued Marion’s neighborhood revitalization plan in the downtown area.
• The board approved physician credentialing for surgeon Clayton Fetsch.
• A 40-minute executive session was called by the board to discuss personnel matters with Armstrong and QHR representative Mike Bullok in attendance. The meeting reconvened with no decisions.
• The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 in the clinic building basement.