Memorial Community Hospital and Health Care in Blair, Nebraska recently acquired an ultrasound machine and CT scanner that could reduce the need for local residents to travel to Omaha for medical care. The new CT scanner reduces radiation exposure by 60% and the ultrasound and CT machines are central to the hospital's new marketing strategy of providing more local services. A local resident said she would have received prenatal care in Blair if the new technology had been available when she was pregnant. The ultrasound machine will be used for obstetric care and mammograms, allowing more women's health services to be provided locally.

1. Blair hospital receives new machines, continues to reshape image By Tyler Dahlgren

2. Interview Sources 1. Robert Copple: Hospital President 2. Angie Hodson: Radiology lead 3. Alicia Kempke: Marketing assistant 4. Alaina Reeh: Blair resident

3. Documentary sources 1. www.mchhs.org 2. www.cancer.gov 3. www.enterprisepub.com

4. Memorial Community Hospital and Health Care in Blair, Neb. recently acquired a pair of machines that could prevent future patients in the area from traveling to Omaha for care.

5. I chose this lead because it relays the main point of the story (the acquisition of the machines) and provides the immediate impact that could have on the citizens of Blair.

6. 1. The new CT machine at the hospital reduces radiation by 60%. 2. The CT and Ultrasound have become the center of MCHHS's marketing strategy.

7. "A pregnant woman living in Blair or the surrounding area shouldn't have to drive to Omaha for appointments or a check-up," Kempke said. "They should feel comfortable turning to their local hospital at that time, and it's our responsibility to provide the care that would allow them to do that."

8. "We want to offer the same services to the community that any other hospital can," Hodson said. "The new ultrasound and CT machines are another step in our hospital's advancement."

9. Alaina Wolff, a Blair resident that gave birth to her son Lucas in 2013, said she would have stayed in Blair had the new services been available a year ago. Like many, she opted to receive care at Children’s Medical Center in Omaha instead, but is happy to see the hospital putting forth such a fierce effort at improvement.

10. The 3D/4D ultrasound machine will be used for obstetrics, the medical specialty that deals with pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period. Hodson said the machine will provide much clearer images for mothers-to-be and will be used for women’s mammography, or breast exams, in about a year.

11. Ending: “It would have been really convenient to go through the pregnancy process here in Blair instead of driving to Omaha for all of my appointments,” Wolff said. “It is really cool to hear about all the improvements at the hospital, and I think more family’s will choose to stay close for care in the future.”

12. What I Enjoyed Learning new things, and seeing the excitement from the employees.

13. Most Challenging Not knowing a single thing about what I was reporting on.