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Radiology
Sudbury shows off state-of-the-art DI
department
 SUDBURY,
Ont. – The Hôpital Régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital (HRSRH) held a
public event where some of the most advanced diagnostic equipment in
Canada, purchased for the new hospital, was showcased.
“We now have a truly impressive centre of diagnostic excellence under
one roof, and a much enhanced continuum of care,” said HRSRH President
and CEO Dr. Denis Roy (pictured). “Our new hospital and the access to modern
technology it provides is helping save lives and improve patient care,”
he added.
The HRSRH’s Diagnostic Imaging service features the latest digital
diagnostic technology and equipment, including two Computerized
Tomography (CT) units, a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine,
and two new angiography units. With the addition of ultrasound and
radiography (x-ray), the hospital’s investment exceeds $10 million.
“Over the years the Sudbury Regional Hospital Foundation has purchased
millions of dollars worth of diagnostic equipment for this department,”
stated Joe Drago, Chairman of the Sudbury Regional Hospital Foundation.
“Each of these tools has helped save lives here in northeastern
Ontario,” he added.
A new 16-channel MRI designed and programmed to provide the optimal
method to scan specific areas of the body, providing greater clarity and
accuracy of diagnosis at higher speed. Fully upgradeable as new system
enhancements become available, the new MRI also has other innovative
features such as a detachable table, allowing MRI staff to prepare one
patient while scanning another, further improving efficiency.
Two state-of-the-art 64-slice CT units allow for greater speed and
volume of information when investigating illness or injury during the
17,000+ CT exams conducted each year. Both units are also compatible
with exciting new advances such as Cardiac CT and Virtual Colonography.
Two digital Angiography suites used by Radiologists and Vascular
Surgeons to investigate and treat all non-cardiac vascular issues (legs,
arms, thoracic, head.)
Three digital x-ray suites provide more detail and a lowered dose of
radiation. An additional digital x-ray suite is located directly in the
Emergency Department (ED).
Three new digital ultrasound units dedicated to serving in-patients and
the ED.
A digital Fluoroscopy suite provides the most technically accurate
outpatient gastro-intestinal (GI) procedures available in a healthcare
setting to date. The HRSRH Technologist Fluoroscopy Program, in which
patients receive G.I. and barium exams from technologists in
consultation with radiologists, has virtually eliminated wait times for
these procedures.
The DI Department and its technological advancements are tied together
by the Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS). PACS is an
electronic system that acquires fully digital images from all diagnostic
imaging (including X-ray, CT, MRI, etc.), allowing for instant review by
physicians, as well as storage, distribution and reporting by computer
without the use of standard film.
The HRSRH operates a completely filmless system, and is connected
through PACS to other hospitals in the Northeast Local Health
Integration Network (NE LHIN). Stored diagnostic images from all
hospitals on the system are now available 24/7 via secure computer
network. The system also has Voice Recognition Technology, resulting in
a significantly decreased turnaround time in reporting for radiologists.
According to Dr. Robert Greco, HRSRH Chief of Diagnostic Imaging, the
benefits of the new hospital to patient care are immense. “Being on one
site enhances the coordination of care, reduces patient discomfort by
eliminating the need for transport between sites, increases our
efficiency, and has provided valuable new tools for the diagnosis of
injury and disease,” stated Dr. Greco. “This, in addition to the medical
expertise that can now be brought to bear through both proximity and new
digital technology, has allowed for significant enhancements in patient
care,” he concluded.
Posted June 3, 2010
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