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Aug 2008

KEN WORTMAN SURGERY CENTER UNVEILED

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COMPUTERIZED RADIOLOGY
Memorial Community Health has taken another big step into the electronic world with the purchase of a digital, film-less, radiology imaging system called Computerized Radiography or CR. Gone are the days of the physician holding a film up to a lighted view box. Today your physician will go to a computer to bring the x-ray image up for an evaluation. Computerized Radiography (CR) is a digital x-ray imaging technology that has been in existence since the 1980's. But as with all new technology, today the quality and the price has improved to make the technology practical. A reusable imaging storage plate is used to record the x-ray exposure and replace the x-ray film. It also replaces the film storage and film expense issues. The CR storage plate is ‘downloaded’ by a reader to create a digital radiographic image. The image is then processed to optimize the quality and stores like any computer file. The image can then be viewed on a computer screen, transmitted electronically through a secure network, or printed on photographic paper or transparent film. The image can also be printed to plain paper for patient viewing. Our local physicians like being able to zoom in on a location or lighten or darken an image to improve the image. With the old film system, the physician read the film they were given or had to have the patient re-x-rayed, adding more radiation exposure. Interpretation by the radiologist is also faster. In the past non-digital x-rays could be sent electronically to the radiologist any time but the image was a scanned image and not ‘diagnostic’ quality. With the new digital image, all images sent to the radiologist, whether at 3 p.m. or 3 a.m., are diagnostic quality. Currently, mammography is the only x-ray modality that still uses the old film and screen systems. This will also be available in the future but the technology for mammography is not there yet in terms of quality and price.

4D Ultrasound Available - Our Radiology Department is pleased to announce the availability of the latest in ultrasound technology. This technology will be very noticeable to our obstetric patients by providing them with the best quality picture of their unborn child. The detail seen with this technology is amazing.

TELE-MEDICINE IS GROWING
A Registered Pharmacist is now available to Memorial Hospital 24/7/365. In order to provide the best service to our customers 24/7/365, MCHI has consistently tried to have the most trained professionals available to provide services to our patients. That standard of care continues to grow with the addition of “remote” pharmacist coverage with pharmacists from the Nebraska Heart Hospital. While these pharmacists will not be “on sight” in Aurora, computer technology allows them to access our electronic pharmacy program through a secure network. Every medication order prior to being administered to a patient will be reviewed by a pharmacist for allergies, drug to drug interactions, drug to food interactions, and patient specific dosage modifications needed. This will support the work of the physicians in providing the best care to patients. Memorial Hospital has been fortunate for many years to have one or more full time pharmacists. Many small hospitals in Nebraska have only consulting pharmacists or part time at best. Adding the remote pharmacy coverage, adds another layer of safety for our hospitalized patients. Because the pharmacist is not on-sight, we will still not be able to be a night pharmacy for routine prescription refills and other non-hospitalized patient prescription needs.