WHEATLAND – Banner Health’s Platte County Hospital recently installed of a new state-of-the-art DXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) scanner, enhancing the hospital’s diagnostic capabilities for bone health assessment and osteoporosis screening and advanced body composition assessment for residents of Wheatland and surrounding communities.
The DXA scanner represents a significant advancement in the hospital’s medical imaging technology, allowing health care providers to measure bone mineral density with exceptional precision. This non-invasive diagnostic tool will enable earlier detection of osteoporosis and other bone-related conditions, helping patients receive timely interventions and treatment.
The advanced body composition assessment provides detailed information of body fat, lean mass, bone mass and visceral fat – the metabolically active fat often associated with diabetes and other metabolic syndromes. It also includes a Fat Mass Index (FMI) which is an obesity classification which measures the ratio of fat mass to height squared. FMI may be better than BMI because while BMI is a measure of excess weight, FMI is a measure of excess fat. BMI may misclassify muscular subjects as overweight or individuals with low body weight as normal even if they have high levels of fat.

“This new DXA scanner demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality health care services to the Wheatland community,” said Sandy Dugger, CEO of Platte County Hospital. “By investing in advanced diagnostic equipment, we’re ensuring our patients have access to the same level of care they would expect at larger medical facilities, right here in their hometown.”
The DXA scan procedure is quick, painless and uses minimal radiation. Patients can now schedule appointments for bone density screenings, which are particularly important for post-menopausal women, men over 70, and individuals with risk factors for osteoporosis.
The new scanner is part of Banner Health’s ongoing efforts to enhance health care services across its rural facilities, ensuring that patients throughout Wyoming have access to advanced diagnostic tools and quality care close to home.
For more information about the DXA scanner or to schedule an appointment, please contact Platte County Hospital at 307-322-3636.
About Platte County Hospital
Platte County Hospital has provided medical excellence to the residents of Platte County since 1955. The hospital offers emergency care, inpatient services, cardiopulmonary care, inpatient and ambulatory surgery, laboratory, medical imaging and women’s care. It is operated by Banner Health, a nonprofit hospital and health care system with 33 hospitals in six states. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com/plattecounty.