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Medical Imaging to be all-digital by springBy Larry Arnold
Most of the images produced in Mile Bluff’s Imaging Department are computerized and can be sent directly to off or on-site specialists through a picture archiving and communications (PAC) system. They are also immediately available to any staff physician or other staff member who is a part of the hospital’s information network. This includes CT Scans, MRI, ultrasound, PET, and nuclear medicine.
The only gap in the system is that of general radiographic examinations (X-rays). This will soon be eliminated, when a PAC system is installed. These X-rays account for over 51 percent of all medical imaging patients.
They are presently transported to other locations for primary interpretation. They are sent to clinics to be read by ordering physicians, or taken by the patient to a specialist (usually in Madison, LaCrosse or Marshfield).
After an X-ray is reviewed by the physician who ordered it at his or her own office, it must be physically carried back to the Imaging Department to be interpreted by a radiologist and then filed. Every time an X-ray is transported, there is a risk of damage to the film, loss of the film, or even simple misplacement or delay in transfer.
In the very near future, hardware and software for a computed radiography (CR) system will be installed in the department and this will make the department’s imaging completely digital and available to authorized medical personnel on the internal computer network, as well as to specialists at major medical centers.
A portion of the cost will be paid by a grant from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in the amount of $73,288. The application for the grant was submitted by Mile Bluff Medical Center Grant Writer Martha Airth-Kindree.
Commenting on the new system, Imaging Department Director Julie Lynch said: “This equipment will probably be ready for use by next spring.” She estimated the cost of the system at $250,000.
She noted that privacy concerns are built into the system. “The system will comply with all HIPAA privacy regulations; it will allow us to do more patients faster because there won’t be a darkroom.” There will be a substantial savings because there won’t be any film or chemicals to buy.
Asked about training for the imaging staff, the director said: “The successful vendor will provide what little training is required; because our system is already half computerized, the staff is pretty well acquainted with the system.”
The department director is presently in the process of selecting a vendor. “There are a number of companies out there who can provide this type of equipment,” she said.
The addition of this technology is one more way Mile Bluff provides you with healthcare evolving for life.
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Mile Bluff Medical Center/ 1050 Division St./ Mauston, WI 53948 / 608 847 6161 Mile Bluff Medical Center, 1050 Division Street, Mauston, WI 53948 608 847 6161 or Toll free in WI at 800 252 4377 © 2008 Mile Bluff Medical Center |
