Peripheral vascular sonogram to diagnose blood vessel blockages

ENTERPRISE — Wallowa Memorial Hospital should be getting a new peripheral vascular sonogram by midsummer after the Circle 100 fundraiser on March 18 drew $20,500.

Stacy Green, director of the Wallowa Valley Health Care Foundation that put on the fundraiser, said the take wasn’t the highest the group has ever raised — it raised $24,000 last year. But it’s enough to purchase the sonogram, which costs $20,055.

Green said she’s uncertain exactly when the diagnostic tool will arrive, but training on it is now underway and it should arrive in the middle of the summer.

A peripheral vascular ultrasound is a noninvasive imaging technique that uses sound waves to visualize blood flow in the arteries and veins of the arms and legs. It helps doctors diagnose conditions such as peripheral artery disease, deep vein thrombosis and chronic venous insufficiency.

The new machine will be set up in the hospital’s imaging department, Green said.

“We’ve never had one before,” foundation Vice President Diana Collins said. “It’s another fine point they can use before sending you to a specialist.”

Those who attended the Circle 100 gathering donated $100 to the foundation’s project. The group met at M. Crow in Lostine for a night of pizza, salad and dessert.

Green said there were 77 women present. She said the foundation had about $8,000 in the bank before the Circle 100 gathering bringing the total to nearly $16,000. More checks came in after the event bringing the total to more than $20,000.

She said that prior to this year, the group had raised $254,535 during the 14 years of its existence. It has averaged $18,000 a year.

The first year, she said, the group raised $10,000 to purchase two new infusion chairs for patients to receive chemotherapy. In 2014, Circle 100 raised $16,000 for a special newborn incubator for distressed newborns. In 2021, the group raised $20,000 for wireless heart monitors.

Collins acknowledged the high cost of the medical equipment the foundation purchases for the hospital, but said it’s not so high it’s out of reach.

“It’s very expensive, but relatively, it’s some of the lower-cost items,” she said. “A group of 100 ladies can do this. … It really helps the medical community.”

The next event for the foundation will be a partnership with the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo on July 24 when Miles for Mammograms will raise money to help low-income local women receive free mammograms.