Fitzgibbon Hospital installs state-of-the-art radiology equipment

July 31, 2017

Increasing access to the latest technology without leaving our community is the goal of recent upgrades to the radiology department at Fitzgibbon Hospital.  A new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner was installed at the facility in June. This unit joins the new CT scanner which was installed at the end of 2016. 

“This new Siemens Aera MRI will allow us to see more detailed and sharper images, while requiring the patient to be in the scanner for less time.  This equates to a more comfortable experience for our patients, which is always a goal,” said Mike Ayers, CNMT, RT, and MRI Supervisor at Fitzgibbon Hospital.

MRI is a test, ordered by your physician, which utilizes magnetic field and radio waves to capture detailed images of your body’s organs and tissues. It has become a mainstay in diagnosing injuries to the muscles, joints and spine as well as many ailments in the brain, including brain tumors and dementia.

“Not only will an MRI help a physician and surgeon make a diagnosis for treatment of injuries, but it can also be used to see the blood flow in the arteries to look for blood clots through an MR angiography,” said Ayers. “This is extremely useful in evaluating stroke and TIA symptoms.”

“As we continually look for ways to improve the patient experience at Fitzgibbon Hospital, we saw an opportunity to upgrade both our MRI scanner and our CT scanner.  We want people to be confident in knowing that they don’t have to leave the community to access the latest technology,” said Dennis Sousley, Vice President of Clinical Services at Fitzgibbon Hospital.  “You can see the forward-thinking mindset of our organization, as we have implemented technologies in radiology like 3D Mammography and DEXA Bone Density Scanner in recent years, thanks to community support.”

The previous MRI unit was installed during the building of the two-story addition at Fitzgibbon Hospital in 2007.  Because the unit was installed during the new construction, removing it and installing a new unit was a substantial project which required months of planning.  The maintenance department at Fitzgibbon Hospital, led by Rudy Reyes, had to remove several walls and widen the external entryway to the radiology department.  In all, nearly 20 individuals combined with mechanized moving equipment and a crane were needed to remove the old device and install the new one.  A short video of the installation can be viewed on the organization’s Facebook page.

            When you need to have advanced radiology services to help diagnose a medical issue, please ask your physician to refer you to the radiology department at Fitzgibbon Hospital, where your friends and neighbors strive to provide you with excellent care, without leaving our community.