MRI Hours Extended at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital July 28, 2023 With the addition of a second MRI technologist to the Diagnostic Imaging staff, Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital will begin offering extended hours. Beginning Monday, July 31, MRI services will be available Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. “This is exciting news for the providers and our patients, and is a long time coming,” said Lauri Sanders, who manages a department that includes radiology (X-ray), CT scan, echocardiography, mammography, sonography and ultrasound. “I owe a big thank you to my technologists for their hard work in making this happen. We have a brand-new piece of MRI equipment and now we can really use it to its full advantage,” Sanders said. Many in the Lincoln City community already know Scott Harkleroad, who has been an MRI tech at the hospital since April 2016. He was joined this month by Kristy Augustine, helping to extend coverage hours. For years, the hospital’s MRI equipment was located in an ancillary building right outside the doors of the Emergency Department. The new hospital was built and opened in February 2020 without space for the MRI unit, due to financial considerations. A 2,500-square-foot MRI annex opened in January after a successful fundraising campaign, bringing this important diagnostic and treatment service within the hospital walls. The annex blends seamlessly into the interior and exterior design of the hospital. The addition houses an up-to-date Siemens open bore MRI system, patient restroom, patient consultation room and adjoining restroom facilities for use by all hospital patients and visitors.
