A $300,000 Distance and Learning  Telemedicine Grant from USDA Rural Development has provided a rural Gonzales hospital with cutting edge radiology technology not usually available in rural Texas hospitals.

With the equipment upgrade, the Gonzales   Hospital becomes the only rural community  hospital in the State of  Texas to offer 3D Mammography.  The upgraded technology now allows the hospital to have highly advanced    capabilities in  X-Rays, CT Scans and MRI’s.

With the upgrade, it is now possible for radiologist located several hours from the hospital to have immediate access to imaging sent from the Gonzales Hospital.  This will provide for faster collaboration and diagnosis between the local hospital and Radiology Partners-Houston, a practice highly    specialized in every facet of radiology.

Connie Kacir, Director of the  Gonzales Healthcare Systems Foundation said, “The new technology is truly a lifesaving technology for our patient base.  The ability to ensure the delivery of all patient imaging for expedited diagnosis results from radiologists with sub-specialty training and credentialing from Radiology Partners-Houston will save lives in Gonzales.  Our hospital is supported with 24/7 access to the same team of radiology specialists serving Memorial Hermann Hospital System in Houston, rated in the top 1% among hospitals in the nation.  We are honored by USDA providing us funding to serve our patients with the gold standard in healthcare.”

Rural Development had previously awarded the hospital a $28,800 Community Facilities Grant to assist in      the purchase of a new mammography machine.

Gonzales County has been designated a Strike Force County by USDA due to the persistent poverty in the  area.