St. Vincent Hospital, a Leadville, Colo.-based hospital that recently needed a county bailout to pay its employees, paid for $169,000 worth of medical equipment it cannot use at its high altitude, 9news reported Jan. 3.
In 2021, the hospital prepared to move into a new $26 million building and ordered colonoscopy and video processing equipment that could not be properly validated for Leadville's altitude of 10,151 feet.
The equipment was used on more than 100 procedures before discovering the issue. St. Vincent is asking Olympus, the equipment manufacturer, for a refund.
"It is my understanding that St. Vincent Hospital elevation is the highest in the United States, and I doubt anyone even considered altitude could be a factor," Interim CEO John Gardner told 9news. "We are seeking refunds from the manufacturer for this equipment since it is unusable."
"We can confirm that our most sensitive equipment previously in use at St. Vincent did not issue error warnings during the months in which it was used at the facility," An Olympus spokesperson told Becker's. "Olympus provides information on the correct operating environment, including elevation, to its customers in the instructions for use for the equipment. It is the customer's decision as to what equipment it wants to purchase for use in the hospital setting."