Northern Light AR Gould Hospital has announced that a new computerized tomography, or CT, canner will be installed and operational by this fall.
“One of the many challenges in healthcare, particularly in rural areas like ours, is being able to continue to invest in ever-changing technology,” said Dr. Jay Reynolds, hospital president. “Major pieces of equipment, like a CT scanner, carry huge price tags, but no matter how well you maintain them, their useful life is limited as technology rapidly evolves. We must make the investments necessary to provide the safest, best care for our patients.”
A CT scan is a type of imaging that uses X-ray techniques to create detailed images of the body and then uses a computer to create cross-sectional images, or slices, of the bones, blood vessels, and soft tissue inside the body. Scans show more detail than X-rays do, making them valuable tools to diagnose disease or injury, as well as to plan and guide treatments.
AR Gould will replace its current CT scanner with a Siemens SOMATON X.Cite.
“What excites me the most about this CT scanner is the reduction in radiation, which is safer for both patients and staff,” said Justin Dyer, manager of the Imaging Department. “The reconstruction of images will also be done much faster, in just minutes versus the 10-15 minutes it takes us currently. The X.Cite also has enhanced capabilities that will help our radiologist during CT guided biopsies and give us access to new cardiac features.”
According to Dyer, the table weight for this new equipment will increase by 200 pounds, and the bore size will be the largest in The County. This will allow the hospital to better accommodate larger patients.
While the process to replace this equipment is extensive and will take the next few months to complete, the first key steps began last week.
First, a mobile CT unit became operational on campus, parked between the Emergency Department and medical transport base. Patients needing a CT now through early November can expect to have their scan done either in this mobile unit or with the PET CT machine when that is available.
With a new process for CTs in place, work began on electrical upgrades in the CT suite as well as the removal of the current machine.
Over the next few months, a new H-VAC system will be installed, and the flooring, cabinets, and the ceiling will be replaced. The new scanner should arrive in October, and after it is installed, there will be time dedicated to staff training for the imaging team before the equipment is put into operation in November.
“While this transition time will unfortunately be a bit inconvenient, the end result of having a new CT machine that offers better, safer, more reliable care will be well worth it,” said Dyer.
