Imaging Services
Early and accurate diagnosis is considered a vital factor in effective treatment of disease. The decision as to what kind of imaging services will be most appropriate is made by clinicians and radiologists (a physician who specializes in the field of imaging) working together. Our Medical Imaging Department is staffed by radiologic technologists who have extensive training in diagnostic radiography. It's a team approach as to what method will be the best for each patient.
In 2008, Parkridge began using the Picture Archiving and Communication System, known as PACS. PACS stores medical images such as X-rays, ultrasounds and CT scans on a computer, eliminating the need to keep a hard (film) copy and making the images accessible to doctors and medical professionals in remote locations.
Diagnostic Imaging
Our physicians and technologists have access to a full range of diagnostic tools including:
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - Parkridge uses a "large bore" MRI unit, which means that patients who may be subject to claustrophobia are less likely to be troubled by the experience. By the same token, the large bore machine is better able to handle patients who may be larger than average.
Breast MRI - has proven valuable in detecting, diagnosing and staging breast cancer. Breast MRIs can be used for women under the age of 40, women with breast implants or women with dense breasts that can be difficult to image with a traditional mammography. MRI can often detect small lesions that might be missed by other imaging.
64-slice Computerized Axial Tomography (CT Scan) - Our new LightSpeed computed tomography scanner from GE Medical Systems is the world's first scanner to allow doctors to simultaneously capture multiple images of a patient's anatomy and is significantly faster than traditional CT scanners. In addition to trauma cases, the new CT scanner has the potential to significantly reduce diagnostic time and increase image clarity for the diagnosis of cancer, spinal injuries and pediatric conditions. Life-threatening blood clots and cardiac conditions also have the potential of being detected faster and more reliably with the new LightSpeed scanner. Using LightSpeed, a CT scan of the body that once took three minutes can now be completed in 20 seconds!
Mammography - Mammograms are performed by a registered mammographer who understands the concerns and privacy of the patient. All films, both diagnostic and mammographic, are interpreted by accredited radiologists. Parkridge operates one of the newest mammography units, which is flexible enough to accommodate women who are confined to wheelchairs or who are stooped because of osteoporosis.
Nuclear Medicine - Our nuclear medicine specialists use small amounts of radioactive substances, given by mouth or intravenously, to diagnose medical conditions and examine the function of organs and tissues.
General Radiology provides standard x-rays.
