New Outpatient Imaging and Diagnostic Center Includes State-of-the-art Radiology Services

St. John’s new emergency trauma center opens on the hospital’s northwest side in February, but not before procedures such as MRI, CT, ultrasound and diagnostic radiology are up and running on the second floor of the new facility.

St. John’s MRI, CAT scan, and ultrasound departments are relocating to the addition. The move will provide reduced wait times for registration, more convenient parking with improved accessibility to the building, spacious exam suites and state-of-the-art equipment, according to Radiology Services Administrator Ann Metcalf.

“The new facility will also be more navigable, allowing easier way-finding for patients, easier access to registration. We’ll also offer a lab-draw station to help provide a ‘one-stop shop,’ for patients scheduled for any imaging procedure,” says Metcalf.
St. John’s Interventional Radiology department, which provides angiography, angioplasty, stenting, and embolization, will stay in the existing hospital location. Patients scheduled for these procedures will enter through the new entrance on the northwest side of the hospital to check in, have lab drawn and be escorted to the vascular lab by volunteers. The existing radiology area of the hospital will provide all inpatient plain film and fluoroscopy procedures as well as outpatient fluoroscopy procedures. These outpatients will check in at the new entrance as well and will be escorted by volunteers to the main diagnostic department.

“We strongly believe in providing our patients with the latest and greatest in diagnostic equipment and technology services,” Metcalf says. “The new Emergency Trauma Center will house new diagnostic radiology equipment in all six trauma rooms and it will have three radiology rooms in the main ER area. The ER will also have CAT scan capability and room for an additional scanner in the future.”

St. John’s is adding a second MRI scanner in the new building with room for a future third MRI.
“With the second scanner, we’ll be able to cut exam time for patients by about 33 percent,” says MRI Manager Chris Ware.

Ultrasound equipment will all be upgraded, and the new facility will house an additional ultrasound room.
“We’ll be going from four to five ultrasound rooms,” says Ultrasound Supervisor Kent Meador.

The facility’s new CAT scanners will feature brand-new, 16-slice technology, which cuts exam time.
“One rotation of the scanner offers 16 views of the area being scanned,” says CT Manager Claralee Moore. “The area will have a future room for an additional CAT scanner and will house the first installed PET/CT scanner in the area.” “We will also begin offering cardiac scoring, which measures the amount of calcium in the heart to determine a person’s likelihood of having a heart attack. This procedure will be a great preventive tool for patients and we look forward to offering it at St. John’s.”

What's It All Mean?

• MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging. Used to look at anatomy and tissue within the body. Scans can show injury to tissue, abnormal growths, tumors, or blood flow. Physicians may order an MRI of the chest, spine, abdomen, heart, extremities and/or head and neck.
• CT or CAT scan: Computed tomography. Shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general X-rays. CT scans also minimize exposure to radiation.
• PET scan: Positron emission tomography. A nuclear medicine procedure, which generates pictures have the precise location and extent of disease, and enables physicians to detect abnormal cell growth and activity.
• Ultrasound: Uses high-frequency sound waves and a computer to create images of blood vessels, tissues, and organs to see how they function and assess blood flow through various vessels.
• X-ray: Used to diagnose fractures, tumors and degenerative conditions and blockages.

Please join us for an open house of the new ETC on Jan. 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 417-820-6111 for more information.