ENTERPRISE — The board that governs Wallowa Memorial Hospital has given the green light to the hospital to purchase its own magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit, and the unit could be up and running in six to eight months.

The board of directors of the public health district, at its monthly meeting on Monday, Aug. 28, authorized spending about $1.77 million on the purchase. Of that amount, about $1.57 million will go to pay for the unit itself. The additional $200,000 is the worst-case estimate for the “container,” the structure at the hospital that will house the MRI unit, and related expenses, such as pouring the concrete pad on which the container will sit.

MRI is a type of diagnostic test that can create detailed images of nearly every structure and organ inside the body. MRI uses magnets and radio waves to produce images on a computer. It does not use any radiation.

Wallowa Memorial has access now to MRI services via a mobile unit that is available at the hospital one to two days a week. For years, that leasing arrangement made more financial sense than having the hospital purchase its own unit.

But a new type of MRI unit from Siemens changed those calculations, said Josie Conrad, the hospital’s director of imaging.

The container system is new and eliminating the additional cost of construction makes the unit a financially viable option, said Brooke Pace, the hospital’s director of communications and experience. “Also, demand has steadily increased year over year, making owning a better option than leasing for additional days. Access to timely care is at the heart of this decision.”

“This is really the first time I’ve seen when the numbers added up for purchase,” said Nick Lunde, the chair of the health district board.

The unit also features a wider “bore” — the cylindrical unit in which patients are positioned for imaging — a benefit for claustrophobic or larger patients.

“The added space for staff both around the unit itself and in the staging area not only makes it more comfortable but also safer for both patients and staff,” Pace said.

Wallowa Memorial will be the first hospital in Oregon to have this kind of technology, Pace said, adding that Conrad was able to tour three other sites — one in Idaho and two in Washington state — that use the technology.

In other action at the meeting:

• The board approved $48,000 for a new console for its CT (computerized tomography) unit. The console dates back to 2014, and its manufacturer, General Electric, has said it will not support the software that runs the unit past the end of the year.

• The board approved the purchase of a system to collect the hospital’s data on antibiotic use and resistance. The hospital collects that data manually now, but the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is mandating that hospitals use a certified vendor. The board selected the “Bugsy” module from Epic Systems. The cost is about $44,771, but a Small Rural Hospital Improvement grant will pay for about $11,000 of that.

• Stacy Green, the director of the Wallowa County Health Care Foundation, reported that the foundation has received a $50,000 anonymous donation to help pay for a new ambulance. The total cost of the ambulance is $370,000, and Green said the foundation hopes to raise more money for the ambulance at the annual Healthy Futures auction and dinner, which is scheduled this year for Nov. 11.