By BRENDA TENBOER

The ancillary services suite at South Big Horn Critical Access Hospital is slated for completion on August 31, as scheduled.

“I’m a little nervous about all that painting and finishing being done on time, but they assure me it will happen,” said Jackie Claudson hospital director.

In the meantime, the new GE CT scanner has been moved to the front of the warehouse and is awaiting orders on a transport date, Claudson told board members.

“Once they get that floor in, we can have it here,” she said.

The CT scan can be put into use almost immediately and adequate staff are in place.

“We are getting so excited,” Claudson said.

In other action at the hospital board of trustees regular meeting August 13, Claudson said the final figures for the fiscal year are not available until next week. Also, an annual is in process as part of the close out of the normal year’s finances.

Residents took part in the Big Horn County Fair parade and many folks were able to get down to the fairgrounds and take in the sights.

Snakebite treatments

Dr. Brendon Fitzsimmons attended the meeting and told board members that it is important to correct some misinformation recently released about rattlesnake bite treatments.

“A lot in the treatment of snake bite has changed since John Wayne raced Little Maddy to the doctor in True Grit,” he said.

The facts of today are that of the approximately 8,000 poisonous snake bites that occur in the United States each year only 10 will be fatal. Up to 25 percent of the rattlesnake bites are termed “dry bites”. This means that no venom is actually injected by the snake.

Today, when a rattlesnake strikes the best course of action is to get the patient safely to a hospital and to never apply a tourniquet to the wound.

“That used to be true, but the reality today is that anti-venom is available within two hours of arriving at any Wyoming hospital,” he said.

Using a tourniquet can cause excessive damage to the bite area by forcing the venom farther into the flesh.

Washing the area with soap and water, however, is highly recommended.