During Wednesday’s Good Samaritan Board of Governors meeting, the
Board approved the purchase of two 128 slice computed tomography (CT)
systems for the Radiology Department. This new advanced technology will
replace the hospital’s existing 64 slice CT systems.
Computed Tomography combines the use of digital computers together with
a rotating x-ray device to create detailed cross-sectional images or ‘slices’
of the body. During its history, CT has made continuous improvements in
speed, patient comfort and image resolution. Today, CT is the primary
imaging tool of providers for patient diagnosis and treatment.
Due to the age of the existing CT machines, the Radiology Department will
replace the two systems, renovate the existing CT suites and create a
new CT suite adjacent to Emergency Services. The new addition of a CT
suite in ER will allow the more than 6,700 patients a year who come into
the Emergency Room needing a CT scan to be seen faster. With the projected
total number of CT scans to reach 12,000 in 2018 at Good Samaritan, the
new equipment will provide greater efficiency, be more effective and will
allow the hospital to enter into the next decade with the latest technology.
One system will be installed in Radiology Services for outpatient, interventional
and overflow use. The second system will be installed adjacent to Emergency
Services for ER patients, as well as, inpatients. The Board approved to
purchase the new CT systems from Siemens, the leading company for CT system
reliability and performance, and renovate the CT area for a total cost
of $1,414,776.
According to Mark Schafer, Director of Radiology, the CT’s are operated
by a light-weight tablet, allowing the technologist to remain with their
patients 99% of the time. “Images are automatically completed and
sent to a radiologist for interpretation within three minutes after each
scan,” he added. “This will reduce the time required for each
procedure, improving the speed of care and allowing greater capacity.”