Location of the hospital, nursing home and clinic on the same campus makes services convenient for patients, residents and their family members. The hospital has 14 beds in 9 patient rooms, so most patients enjoy private rooms during their stay. State-of-the-art emergency, imaging, laboratory and physical therapy services are also available. The nursing home offers 32 rooms with 34 beds. Both the nursing home and hospital are served by the new, conveniently located rural health clinic.
The emergency room at Schleicher County Medical Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is staffed with highly-trained physicians, advanced practive providers and nurses certified in Advanced Trauma Life-Support (ATLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC).
Designated as a Level IV Trauma Center by the state of Texas, our emergency room features a staff ready to respond quickly and compassionately to any medical emergency. We are also supported by dedicated emergency medical technicians (EMTs), ambulance and fire department personnel.
Through the hospital’s affiliation with Avera eCare, the services of local providers are complemented by those of board certified emergency room physicians and critical care nurses immediately available through telemedicine. At the touch of a button, equipment installed in the hospital’s two trauma rooms is instantly connected to eCare’s virtual hospital command center through a dedicated fiber optic line.
Schleicher County Medical Center offers onsite a wide range of highly complex laboratory services including hematology, chemistry, special chemistry and serology. Some of the more common tests help providers determine whether or not patients have diabetes, high cholesterol, or infections. But other tests can be critical to determining the cause of abdominal or chest pain.
The professionals who staff the laboratory sometimes go unnoticed, but the role they play is vital to the diagnosis and treatment of disease at the hospital, emergency department and clinic. While education requirements differ, MLTs (medical laboratory technicians) and MTs (medical technologists) perform overlapping functions, including preparation of specimens, operation of automated laboratory analyzers and performance of manual testing.
The laboratory is certified through the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Health Facility Compliance Group. We maintain compliance under the authority of the Public Health Services Act, commonly known as Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA 88).
Our radiology department offers a wide-range of services, including CT scans, bone density testing, as well as chest, head, spine and extremity X-rays.
Computed Tomography (CT)
A CT scanner is a painless, sophisticated x-ray system that uses a computer and a rotating x-ray device to create detailed, cross-sectional images or slices of organs and other body structures. These images are then sent from the computer to the radiologist to make a diagnosis from these images.
CT imaging is considered a safe examination. While CT does involve x-rays, the diagnostic benefits are usually considered to outweigh the risks of x-ray exposure.
CT is often the preferred method for diagnosing head and spine injuries, lung and liver disease, cancer, tumors, blood clots, internal bleeding and other diseases and illnesses. The images allow the radiologist to confirm the presence of a tumor and measure its size, precise location and the extent of the tumor’s involvement with other nearby tissue.
The 16 slice CT scanner at Schleicher County Medical Center decreases the average CT exam time and reduces the radiation exposure to the patient due to its enhanced collimation. This means that each patient undergoing a CT scan will experience a shorter exam which may lead to an even more rapid diagnosis. Due to its speed and sensitivity, CT is designed to secure detailed images of patients who may not be able to be imaged in MRI machines (due to metal or pacemakers).
Some CT exams require a contrast agent to enhance the pictures taken by the CT scanner. You will receive special instructions if your exam requires an oral or intravenous contrast agent in advance.
X-rays
Diagnostic x-rays are routine diagnostic exams that are done by using electromagnetic radiation directed at a certain body structure to record an image onto a digital film plate. Digital radiography is a filmless X-ray image capture. Instead of using film, the X-ray image is recorded on a plate and made available as a digital file that can be saved as part of the patient’s medical record.
On an X-ray, the parts of your body appear light or dark due to the different rates that your tissues absorb the X-rays. Calcium in bones absorbs x-rays the most, so bones look white on the image. Fat and other soft tissues absorb less, and look gray. Air absorbs least, so lungs look black.
X-ray examination is painless, fast and easy. The amount of radiation exposure you receive during an x-ray examination is small.
Barium is used to better look at the digestive tract on X-rays and CAT Scans by coating the walls of the stomach and intestine. Iodine based solutions (dye) are mostly used through an IV line or directly into a vein to help blood vessels show up on X-rays and CAT Scans. It is also good for looking at the urinary tract since the contrast leaves the blood through the kidneys.
Exam Preparation (When instructed by the Technologist)
NPO (Nothing By Mouth) means not to eat or drink for however long the technologist says. An Enema and Ducolax tablets are used to clean out the large intestine. Drinking water (6-8 tall glasses), without urinating, one hour before the exam will fill the bladder. Lab Test (BUN or Creatinine) are done to make sure the kidneys are working well so that the IV contrast can exit the body. Glucophage (Metformin) is a medication that you need to tell the technologist if taking. It will need to be stopped before the exam and monitored before resuming. The people working in the Radiology department are the Technologists and Radiologists.
Technologists
Technologists or X-ray Technicians staff the Radiology Department and operate all imaging equipment and make sure quality images are taken and achieved. The Technologists also provides radiation protection when needed and are a primary source of information for Radiology.
Radiologists
The hospital contracts with Radiologists to read and interpret all radiology exams performed at Schleicher County Medical Center. A preliminary reading is provided to the physician who ordered the exam within a short period of time, followed by a more detailed report. The radiologist bills for this professional service separate from the hospital.
Our physical therapy department provides care to individuals who suffer from movement and functional difficulties from aging, disease, injury or environmental factors. Our dedicated physical therapy staff works closely with the patient, their family and the physician to develop a plan that helps restore physical function and overall fitness.
We accept orders from your physician or our providers. Orders may be faxed to the department at 325-853-3976, and patients may register with admissions in the business office.
At Schleicher County Medical Center, our nursing staff comprises the heart of our patient care programs. Our compassionate nurses are highly-trained and certified in Advanced Life Support and Pediatric Life Support. All our registered nurses are trauma certified.
SCMC is committed to providing quality healthcare and services to all patients; however, in order for us to do this, we must keep our hospital financially sound. We accept a wide variety of payment methods, including private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and self-payment. As a courtesy to patients and their families, our business office will submit hospital claims to insurance companies, Medicare or Medicaid on behalf of the patient. To speed up the claims process, it is important that complete and accurate information be given when the patient is admitted to or registered at our hospital.
If you have questions about your account, please contact us at 325-853-2507, or if you would like to make an online payment to your account please check on the link below:
https://www.datapay3.com/c/SCMC01/login.asp
You must have your user name and password from your statement to complete the transaction.
Schleicher County Medical Center is licensed for 14 beds. With 9 inpatient rooms, most patients enjoy private rooms during their stay. The hospital can care for inpatients with acute conditions such as heart attack, congestive heart failure, pneumonia and influenza, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, etc.
In addition, as part of the Swing Bed Program established by Medicare, all of the acute care beds may be used as skilled nursing beds for qualified patients.
The Swing Bed Program at Schleicher County Medical Center is for Medicare patients discharged from Schleicher or any other hospital following an acute illness, injury or surgery, and who still need additional time and physical therapy to heal and strengthen before going home.
The program eases the transition from acute care to home by providing patients with access to highly trained and caring medical professionals right here in Eldorado! Medicare patients eligible for swing bed care typically require one or more of the following:
To qualify for the Swing Bed Program, patients must meet the following guidelines:
After approval from our medical staff and coordinator, we accept Swing Bed patients seven days a week. Discharge planners should contact the Swing Bed Coordinator at 325-853-2507.
SCMC provides a wide array of outpatient services including Radiology or Imaging, I.V. Therapy, Physical Therapy and Laboratory. The results for any tests or treatments scheduled are delivered to your primary care doctor or specialist, no matter where they are located.
The Swing Bed Program at Schleicher County Medical Center is for Medicare patients discharged from SCMC or any other hospital following an acute illness, injury or surgery, who still need time and physical therapy to heal and strengthen before going home.
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