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.”