Box Elder investigating hospital computer theft

TREMONTON, Box Elder County — Police are investigating the theft of nearly $60,000 worth of highly specialized hospital computer equipment from a storage shed.

The theft happened sometime over the holidays, said Bear River Valley Hospital administrator Eric Packer. A computer server and other components for a nurse call station were in a storage shed being rented by the hospital when it was broken into.

"The server's so specialized," Packer said Wednesday. "It's not something they can really use for anything. It's really just a waste."

No patient information was stored on the equipment, hospital officials said.

The equipment was being stored there while Intermountain Healthcare builds a new hospital, slated to open in Tremonton in February. The newly built storage facility did not yet have a fence or security cameras, Packer said.

The theft of the equipment has created some problems, but Packer said the hospital does not anticipate having to delay the opening of the new Bear River Valley Hospital.

"That's just the stuff they took," Packer said. "You have no idea how much a nurse call center costs."

Anyone with information is urged to call Tremonton police at 435-257-2632.

— Ben Winslow