New CT equipment comes on-line at the hospital
Boundary Community Hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging Department installed a new Siemens Definition AS 64 Computerized Tomography (CT) Scanner. With 64 Slice technology, our Radiologic Technologists can obtain better, finer images for more accurate diagnoses in less time on the most stable, reliable and state of the art system in our local area. Siemens SAFIRE technology allows for a significantly decreased radiation dose without sacrificing image quality. This is a great leap forward in radiation protection for our family and neighbors. The larger gantry opening and wider table allow for a much less constricting examination. All of the Radiologic Technologists at the hospital have upgraded their certifications so they can operate the new equipment.
According to Radiologic Technologist Bill Blumenauer, “The image quality we are seeing with this new equipment has improved from an already stellar system. The Siemens hardware and software give us the ability to do scans with pinpoint accuracy and to do it in less time than before. It’s important that we be able to do tests and scans right away, especially in an emergency situation, and this new tool makes us more effective.”
“At Boundary Community Hospital, our goal is to provide the community with timely modern radiology services that are second to none,” says Hospital CEO Craig Johnson. “The attractive lease/purchase program offered to us from Siemens allowed us to trade in the eleven year old scanner on new, superior equipment without raising the costs of a CT image. As always, Boundary Community Hospital is committed to providing accessible, high-quality, cost-effective services to everyone in our community.”
Computerized Tomography (CT) combines a specialized x-ray machine and a computer to produce images one slice at a time, like a spiral ham. The scan, completed while you lie on a table is painless. Once your scan is finished, the Technologist presents the cross-sectional, multi-dimensional images to the Radiologist for interpretation. The Diagnostic Imaging Department at Boundary Community Hospital is 100% digital and fully integrated with hospitals in North Idaho and Eastern Washington through the Northwest Hospital Alliance Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) so that our images and reports can be shared and viewed with other facilities and your physician. This system eliminates the use of hard copy x-rays, making faster image interpretation and more accurate diagnoses possible.