New CT Adds to Improvements at Mahaska Health Partnership
Imaging technologists who will be performing CT scans on the new unit include Heidi Bunnell, Julie Hartke, Nicole Keller and Cassie Heeren. (submitted photo)
MAHASKA COUNTY – Mahaska Health Partnership continues to bring innovative technology to our community. The latest addition is a new computed tomography (CT) scan system.
The Siemens SOMATOM Perspective CT was recently installed in Radiology, replacing an existing 6-slice CT machine. It incorporates the latest 64-slice acquisition technology for ultra-high resolution 3-D images. The technology may sound complicated, but it’s important: the higher the slice, the more detailed the image can be, and that helps physicians make a more accurate diagnosis.
CT systems combine special X-ray technology with sophisticated computers to produce highly detailed images of organs, bones, soft tissues and blood vessels. CT exams are regularly used to examine a patient’s head, chest, abdomen and spine. According to MHP Radiology Director Julie Hartke, CT systems use ionizing radiation to generate the pictures that physicians use to diagnose diseases and conditions, such as trauma, cancer and kidney stones or infections.
“Radiation exposure is a concern for many patients,” Hartke said. “Everyone is exposed to different sources of natural radiation in daily life, including being in the sun and flying in an airplane.
“Our new CT calculates the lowest possible dose for each individual patient. It’s another example of how we make healthcare personal for every patient.”
With such high-tech equipment so close to home, area residents have no need to travel for efficient, detailed imaging exams. Ask your physician about CT exams with MHP’s new Perspective CT.
Mahaska Health Partnership, located in Oskaloosa, is a non-profit health system accredited by the Joint Commission. It is guided by its mission to provide exceptional customer service and health improvement, linking the science of medicine with the humanity of compassionate care. For more information about how Mahaska Health Partnership is making healthcare personal, call 641.672.3240 or visit www.mahaskahealth.org.
