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In the News
Faster, More Convenient Radiology Tests, Mammograms:
VBMC-Brownsville 1st to Install PACS System;
To Open All-Digital Breast Center
BROWNSVILLE, July 11, 2006 – A new filmless digital
radiology system and Breast Center at Valley Baptist Medical
Center-Brownsville makes it easier and faster for Brownsville area
patients and physicians to obtain test results from mammograms,
ultrasound, X-rays, CT-scans, MRI, and nuclear medicine procedures.
The Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) at VBMC-Brownsville
allows storing of test results on digital media rather than film.
Patients are able to get their results from an array of radiology
procedures on a small CD instead of bulky sheets of film -- and the
patient’s doctor can see their results almost instantly on their
computer screen. This means faster service and greater convenience for
Brownsville residents when they need various types of diagnostic tests.
In addition to the digital radiology system, VBMC-Brownsville will
open an all-digital Breast Center on Wednesday, July 19, 2006. The new
Breast Center, located in the Women’s Services’ area at VBMC-Brownsville,
includes a new G.E. Senographe DS digital mammography unit and a
dedicated breast ultrasound machine, which will decrease wait times for
women needing diagnostic and screening mammograms.
VBMC-Brownsville is the first and only hospital in the Brownsville
area to provide the PACS digital radiology system and also the first
hospital in Brownsville to offer digital mammography. The all-digital
format represents a huge leap in technology, as all of the procedures
which had been done on film will now be performed digitally, without
film. Patients will also benefit from new equipment which allows
radiologists to better enhance views of diagnostic tests. The system
enables radiologists to zoom in or out as necessary to get the best view
of X-rays or other images.
If it is difficult to see a particular image, the radiologist can
shade parts of the image to produce better contrast and visibility. This
allows physicians to better diagnose various medical conditions and
pinpoint the best treatment for each patient.
Dr. Irene V. Perez-Young, Radiologist, said the PACS system enables
physicians to access their patient’s test results from anywhere in the
Valley -- or anywhere in the world -- through the Internet.
In fact, physicians can retrieve images on their home computer, their
office computer or any computer with web access -- as long as the
physician has an authorized login name and password. This makes it
easier for the doctors to retrieve the patient’s test results at night
or on the weekend -- and means a faster turn-around time for the
patient, including those with emergency cases.
In addition, two physicians who are conferring about a patient’s
results, for example a cardiologist and a radiologist, can both look at
a patient’s image at the same time on different computer screens --
while discussing the results over the telephone. Or the physicians can
leave notations of their findings and the patient’s clinical history on
the computerized file for other consulting physicians who pull up the
image later.
“With PACS, it is easier to work with the images and to make
measurements for the sizes and densities needed for the interpretation,”
Dr. Perez-Young added. “It is very user-friendly; you can see the images
and various reports at the same time.”
Linda McIntire, RT(R)(M), Director of Radiology and Respiratory
Services at VBMC-Brownsville, said the PACS system has “changed the way
we do business, giving us a faster throughput for our patients.”
Under the old system, there were often delays while personnel
retrieved old films. “PACS is a much more efficient way to take X-rays
and perform all types of radiology cases,” Ms. McIntire said. “And it
makes the images much more readily available to be viewed by the
patient’s own physician.”
VBMC-Brownsville’s PACS system is connected to a similar system at
VBMC-Harlingen, so doctors traveling between the two hospitals in
Brownsville and Harlingen can pull up their patient’s results at either
hospital.
Brownsville’s first digital Breast Center
The new Breast Center at VBMC-Brownsville -- which will also be
connected to the PACS system -- will provide faster, more convenient
service for all ages of women through the combination of digital
mammography and dedicated breast ultrasound. Physicians may choose to
utilize ultrasound -- which uses no radiation -- to study abnormalities
in women who are pregnant or too young for a mammogram.
“With digital, there’s no more waiting for film to be developed,” Ms.
McIntire said. “The image is available almost instantaneously. And our
radiologists can digitally enhance and manipulate images for clarity, so
that there is less need to put patients through the inconvenience of
re-takes.”
To maintain breast health, women are encouraged to follow the
American Cancer Society’s
guidelines. That means women aged 20 to 39 should perform breast
self-examinations monthly, and have a clinical breast exam every three
years. From age 40 on, women should perform breast self-exams each
month, and have a clinical exam and a screening mammogram every year.
Those at higher risk of breast cancer should ask their doctors about the
need for earlier or more frequent exams.
One in eight American women will develop breast cancer at some point
in her life. However, when breast cancer is detected early, it’s one of
the most treatable forms of cancer.
To schedule a digital mammogram with VBMC-Brownsville’s Breast Center
-- or for information on
other types of filmless, digital diagnostic tests, such as ultrasound,
X-rays, CT-scans, MRI, and nuclear medicine procedures -- contact
the hospital’s Outpatient Registration Dept. at (956) 698-5412. (During
the month of August 2006, digital screening mammograms will be available
at the special rate of $99 at VBMC-Brownsville.) |