Archives for October 2026

Ortonville Area Health Services (OAHS) has earned first place in the Cost category at the Sanford Improvement Symposium for its work to expand access to MRI services in the region. The Sanford Improvement Symposium is an annual event that recognizes healthcare teams for projects that improve patient care, safety, and efficiency.

The project focused on improving the availability of MRI services at OAHS by establishing a dedicated MRI unit. Previously, OAHS relied on a mobile MRI unit that was available only two days a week. This limited schedule, along with the possibility of weather-related delays in getting the mobile unit on site, could postpone outpatient scans and create additional challenges for patients needing timely imaging. Additionally, patients requiring emergency MRI scans for possible stroke or trauma sometimes had to travel by ambulance or air to larger medical centers in Fargo or Sioux Falls. These transfers added time, expense, and stress for patients and their families.

OAHS launched on-site MRI services using a dedicated MRI unit in September 2025 with support from a Minnesota Department of Health Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Grant, capital funding, and a pay-per-scan equipment lease model. Early results show strong community demand, including a 70.59% increase in June MRI volume compared with mobile service, projected annual volume above 750 scans, and an estimated $432,000 in annual cost avoidance for patients and insurers.

Most importantly, local MRI services make it easier for patients to get the care they need. Patients can spend less time traveling and waiting for scans, and providers can get the timely information they need to make treatment decisions sooner. For people with urgent medical concerns, such as a possible stroke, local MRI access can help providers assess patients and determine the next steps in care more quickly.

The OAHS MRI Project shows how a rural hospital can improve access to advanced medical services, enhance the patient experience by reducing travel and wait times, and help lower costs for patients and insurance providers.

Pictured: Shane Ayres, Chief Financial Officer; Tyler Gall, IT Manager; Wylie Pullis, Radiologic Technologist ; Lacey Busack, Radiology Manager; Sara Tollakson, Quality and Patient Safety Coordinator; Nicole Wood, Executive Assistant; Dr. Al Ross, Chief Executive Officer.

If you missed this week’s episode of Health Corner on KDIO Radio, you can listen to it on our podcast channel. Betty Karels-Williamson, Granite View Neighborhood Lead at Fairway View, discusses the Fairway View Vendor Fair. This annual event is coming up Friday, October 23!

Listen to this episode below, and visit our entire podcast library at this link.

Ortonville Area Health Services (OAHS) has expanded access to its Nuclear Medicine services by installing a dedicated imaging system in the Radiology Department. The new equipment allows OAHS to perform a wider range of studies locally, while providing patients with improved scheduling options and greater convenience.

“We saw the need to have our own Nuclear Medicine imaging system on site,” said Lacey Busack, OAHS Radiology Manager. “Previously, Nuclear Medicine services were available through a mobile unit one day a week. Patients who could not be scheduled during that limited availability often had to travel to Watertown, Sioux Falls, or Fargo. Having the equipment on site allows us to provide greater availability and serve patients closer to home.”

Nuclear Medicine uses a small amount of radioactive material to create images that show how organs and tissues are functioning. During an exam, the patient lies on a table while the camera moves around them to capture detailed images of organs and tissues. The camera detects the radioactive material as it moves through the body, allowing providers to evaluate specific organs and body systems.

One of the primary studies performed at OAHS is cardiac stress testing. Other studies include HIDA scans to evaluate gallbladder function, gastric emptying studies, bone scans, and thyroid imaging. These studies may be ordered to evaluate a variety of heart, digestive, thyroid, and bone conditions.

OAHS’s imaging system is operated by a Nuclear Medicine technologist with specialized training and more than 20 years of experience. Nuclear Medicine studies are currently offered Monday through Thursday, providing patients with more consistent access to these services.

The project involved close collaboration with Sanford Health to connect the new equipment and related systems to the Sanford network. This integration allows Sanford specialists to interpret studies performed at OAHS. The addition of on-site Nuclear Medicine services is another step in OAHS’s commitment to providing high-quality, accessible care for patients throughout the region.

If you missed this week’s episode of Health Corner on KDIO Radio, you can listen to it on our podcast channel. In this week’s episode of Health Corner, Lacey Busack, OAHS Radiology Manager, discusses mammogram services and on-site nuclear medicine services offered at Ortonville Area Health Services.October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and October 4-10 is Nuclear Medicine Week.

Listen to this episode below, and visit our entire podcast library at this link.