With funding from the state of Texas and the Llano Hospital Foundation, Llano Regional Hospital purchased a new GE Revolution 64-slice CT scanner, bringing faster imaging, advanced cardiac screening capabilities, and improved reliability to patients across the Llano region.

The new CT system includes cardiac heart score software for calcium scoring, adding an important tool for early detection of cardiac risk and helping providers assess the severity of heart disease.

The scanner also delivers fast, efficient imaging with a lower radiation dose per scan than many other CT systems currently in use.

The hospital expects the new equipment to be available for patients April 13.

“This new CT machine is a major step forward for our hospital and our community,” said Linda Walker, CEO of Llano Regional Hospital. “It gives our providers more precise diagnostic capability, gives patients access to advanced imaging close to home, and strengthens local emergency response when time matters most.”

The equipment purchase was made possible with a Rural Hospital Improvement Grant from the Office of Rural Finance at Texas Health and Human Services and funding from the Llano Hospital Foundation, fully covering the cost of the purchase and eliminating the need for long-term private financing.

In addition to enhancing the efficiency and quality of CT scans for diagnoses, the new equipment ensures reliable imaging availability, critical for emergency services teams to be able to bring patients to the hospital. The previous equipment would frequently need downtime for maintenance and servicing, causing emergency services teams to take patients to other, more distant hospitals with immediate CT scan availability.