Living Jackson Magazine

A Look Inside

By Mike Pilcher

The evolution of imaging technology has been a driving force behind changes in the healthcare industry for decades.

Without over-simplifying a not-so-simple topic, greater visibility means more information. More information leads to earlier diagnoses, more exact treatments and greater outcomes.

Now, more than ever, it is clear that revolutionary imaging tools and services will continue to play a major role in the health and well-being of our society.

“Today’s imaging technology advances allow for much earlier detection which results in better treatment options and improves the quality of life for patients,” said Bernard Wheatley, D.B.A., FACHE, Vice President of Operations at Athens Regional Medical Center (ARMC).

In Athens, access to state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging technology and services–MRI, CAT scan, and PET scan, among others–is readily available. Residents of Northeast Georgia no longer have to fight Atlanta traffic in order to receive the best in diagnostic and treatment imaging services. You will find the same technology and expertise just a few minutes drive down Hwy. 129 at ARMC.

MRI

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) produces remarkable images of the body without the use of radiation. Instead, it uses the physical properties of magnetic fields, radio waves and sophisticated computers.

This technology provides quicker, more accurate results aiding physicians in the diagnosis of brain disorders, liver and other abdominal diseases, as well as other injuries to various parts of the body such as the spine, knee, and shoulder.

MRI also plays a large role in the detection of various types of cancer, including breast cancer, and is becoming a more important tool in evaluating the function and structure of the heart.

Athens Regional is home to three MRI scanners, the newest of which is an especially important addition. The Siemens Espree Open MRI Scanner is a revolutionary Open MRI design. For the claustrophobic patient and very large patients, it provides a much more comfortable environment for an MRI scan.

Unlike other “open” MRI scanners on the market, ARMC’s new Espree Open scanner possesses the same magnetic field strength as traditional “closed” MRI scanners. That strength translates to quicker scans with much greater image clarity and resolution, meaning more accurate, timely diagnoses and far fewer repeat scans.

“Our previous open scanner at the Physician’s Imaging Center (PIC), because of its age and design, had certain limitations as to the type of scans it could produce,” said Dee Burkett, Administrative Director of Imaging Services at ARMC. “This newly designed open scanner has no such limitations and is very capable of producing the high-quality images our physicians require.”

CT Scan

ARMC also operates four state-of-the-art CT (computed tomography) scan systems. CT scans are non-invasive procedures that collect images of the body from multiple angles. Powerful computers, producing tremendously clear cross-sectional and three-dimensional pictures of the body, process these images. CT scans have become the preferred method to diagnose many different diseases and traumatic injuries due to the speed, ease and accuracy of the technology.

PET/CT Scanner

One of the most important and powerful diagnostic imaging tools available today is the PET/CT Scanner. This hybrid scanner combines two technologies to offer physicians and patients tremendously valuable information to pinpoint certain disease states in the body. ARMC has the only PET/CT scanner in northeast Georgia.

PET (positron-emission tomography) uses highly sophisticated computers to create color imagery that demonstrates the biological function of the body. CT images provide information about the body’s anatomy, such as size, shape, location, etc. These two sets of information provide physicians with the power to detect and pinpoint the source of cancer and determine if it is isolated in one area or has spread to other organs.

“By detecting differences between the metabolism of normal anatomic structures and tumors, the PET/CT scanner allows us to not only evaluate the presence and extent of disease, but to also monitor its response to treatment,” said Daniel Measel, M.D., one of Athens Regional’s board-certified radiologists.

PET/CT scans are also valuable in assessing certain brain disorders. A PET scan can identify changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease before any other diagnostic test, potentially allowing for early drug therapy and future personal planning before the loss of mental capacity begins.

Finally, PET/CT scans can play an important role in the fight against heart disease. PET scans of the heart can be used to determine blood flow to the heart muscle and help evaluate signs of coronary artery disease. These scans can also tell physicians if areas of the heart that show decreased function as a result of a prior heart attack are still alive, and if they would benefit from a procedure that would reestablish adequate blood flow and improve heart function.

“The capabilities of non-invasive diagnostic imaging technology continue to expand,” Wheatley said. “For example, new more advanced CT scanners will soon allow physicians to accurately visualize the coronary arteries (arteries that supply blood to the heart) and evaluate them for blockages without having to undergo diagnostic cardiac cath procedures.”

These amazing technologies are part of a fully digital, state-of-the-art radiology department at ARMC. Patients who require diagnostic imaging services have at their disposal–in addition to MRI, CAT Scan and PET/CT–Ultrasound, basic X-ray and Fluoroscopy, Nuclear Medicine, Interventional Radiology, and Bone Densitometry (an important diagnostic tool for osteoporosis).

Connecting all of these state-of-the-art imaging technologies is a sophisticated computer network called PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System). No longer do radiologists and other physicians study images on X-ray film. Instead now they review them on computer monitors using software that allows them to manipulate the images in a manner that gives them the best information possible when making a diagnosis.

Another tremendous benefit of PACS technology is the freedom it gives physicians to review their patients’ imaging studies. PACS enables physicians to review imaging studies at virtually any location in the hospital including from their offices or even their homes, which creates much greater efficiency in physicians’ busy schedules and often speeds diagnosis and treatment decisions.

Perhaps most importantly, alongside these remarkable technological capabilities resides exceptional customer service–a hallmark of Athens Regional Medical Center, northeast Georgia’s leader in full-service diagnostic imaging.

Writer Mike Pilcher is Associate Director of the Corporate Communications Department at Athens Regional Medical Center. Article was provided courtesy of Athens Regional Medical Center.