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MVH Advanced DigitalMammography Unit
Opens To The Public

Participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new MVH Medical Imaging unit are (left to right) Abdul S. Chaudry, M.D., Chairman, Department of Medical Imaging, Monongahela Valley Hospital; Nate Nevala, Field Director, Office of Congressman Tim Murphy; State Senator Tim Solobay; Louis J. Panza, Jr., President and CEO, Monongahela Valley Hospital; and Mindy M. Zatta, Board of Directors, Washington County Hospital Authority.

Nancy Bartman, R.T. (R), MVH Mammography Supervisor, demonstrates the new digital mammography equipment while State Senator Tim Solobay looks on.

On Friday, January 14, Monongahela Valley Hospital’s Medical Imaging dedicated a new area specifically to serve women requiring mammography procedures. It addresses women’s unique imaging and biopsy needs in a conveniently located, woman-centric environment on the first floor of the hospital.

Funded by grants from the federal government through Senators Specter and Casey, Congressmen Murphy and Murtha, and the Washington County Hospital Authority, Monongahela Valley Hospital installed sophisticated screening and diagnostic equipment to provide digital mammography administered by a credentialed, caring staff specializing in women’s imaging.

The event that dedicated the newly finished unit included guided tours and information. Interior aesthetics with a soothing palette of colors and finishes were chosen to support a calming atmosphere.

“We understand that women may be anxious with the anticipation of procedures such as mammography,” said Patrick Alberts, Senior Vice President and COO at Monongahela Valley Hospital.

“Our staff of board-certified physicians and certified technologists works to facilitate those screening and diagnostic procedures so that patients get the best results from our technology. This new service, digital mammography, adds to the arsenal of tools we have available for patient cancer care and it avoids the need to travel out of the area for diagnostic procedures,” Alberts added. “The unit is accredited with the American College of Radiology and the FDA's Mammography Quality Standards Act.”

When using MVH Medical Imaging for mammography services, patients will have access to digital mammography, stereotactic biopsy and ultrasound-guided biopsy as indicated. Also available are all of the possible treatment and follow-up services they may need, including surgery, image-guided radiation therapy using a linear accelerator and chemotherapy.

“There was a clear need for this type of service in the area and the equipment is the most advanced available,” said Alberts.
Adil Chaudry, M.D., a radiologist on staff at MVH, presented information about digital mammography to the guests attending the open house and ribbon-cutting to open the new unit.

“In the United States, one out of every eight women develops breast cancer, a new breast cancer is diagnosed every two and a half minutes and one American woman dies from breast cancer every 13 minutes,” he said.

“ As radiologists, our challenges and goals of mammography are to find the small lesion which, when detected early and shown to be cancerous, can afford the patient a substantial survival benefit if treated.”

Dr. Chaudry cited the advantages of digital mammography noting that patients will experience reduced examination time and a decrease in radiation dosage by using the new equipment.

“This digital information can be stored electronically, transmitted, analyzed and manipulated in a number of ways that traditional films can not,” Chaudry said. “It eliminates abnormalities that may occur when processing film, it’s much faster and reduces the need for film storage space and costs. The new service truly provides MVH patients with a complete breast program.”