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MVH Upgrades MRI System to Enhance Patient Care

Monongahela Valley Hospital continues to enhance its diagnostic imaging services.

That point was emphasized with the recent upgrade of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system at the hospital. The new system, named TIM (total imaging matrix) by the manufacturer, cuts the total exam time from 45 to 30 minutes and is the most versatile system available in western PA. It offers maximum patient comfort and reduces noise up to 97 percent.

The new state-of-the-art system allows MVH to provide an entire whole body image without patient repositioning and allows for feet first entry for patients who may experience claustrophobia or high anxiety in a conventional MRI setting.

According to Patrick Alberts, senior vice president and chief operating officer at the hospital, “The new system offers fast image acquisition with parallel imaging in all dimensions, including head to toe, front to back, and side to side in one pass and the image quality is phenomenal.”

“With our TIM enhancement, our radiologists have access to a comprehensive set of clinical applications, including the Central Nervous System, Angiography, Cardiology, Body, Oncology, Orthopedic and Pediatric visualizations,” he said.

“It can also do things like look at functional imaging – observing the function of the brain, the heart, the kidneys and the liver – and get new insights into diseases that we never could before. This system not only improves our daily workflow but also enables us to get better medical information about our patients. It represents a major technological advance in the diagnostic services available anywhere in the mid-Monongahela Valley,” Alberts said.

Dr. Abdul Chaudry, Chairman of the Department of Medical Imaging at MVH, agreed. “I think one of the most exciting features of this system is its full range – from the highest power gradients with the fastest speed, to the highest and finest possible resolution,” he said. “On top of that, the system is incredibly easy for our technologists and staff to operate. Our training and installation to start up time was minimal.

“I think the benefit to the patient is in two areas. First, exceptionally high resolution and incredibly sophisticated imaging allow us to make diagnoses we may not have been able to make before. Additionally, total body imaging allows us to look, for example, at the whole body and all of its blood vessels, helping us determine where there might be abnormalities,” Chaudry said.

Addition of the new MRI system augments the expansion and enhancement of medical imaging services over the past six years at Monongahela Valley Hospital. This advancement, along with the recent partnership of Image Radiology Group’s facilities in McMurray and White Oak, and the MVH HealthPLEX Imaging Center in Rostraver, expands access for patients requiring MRI and other diagnostic imaging services.

All of these systems and equipment integrate completely with MVH’s filmless Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS) installed last year.

Alberts also emphasized that the hospital’s magnetic resonance imaging services (both open and traditional units) have received full accreditation by the American College of Radiology (ACR). He explained that ACR’s survey compared MVH equipment, performance, physicians, technologists, personnel qualifications, medical reports and outcome audits to required national standards. “All areas reviewed in the ACR survey were in compliance with the required standards,” Alberts said.

“Results of the survey commended the physicians and staff in the MRI unit for their efforts and attention in developing exceptional operating systems in the area of magnetic resonance imaging,” he said.

“This next generation equipment, combined with the convenience of our location and skilled and experienced radiologists and medical imaging staff, provides the best options for our patients and their doctors,” Alberts said. “Knowing you need to have an MRI examination may not be a pleasant thought and having to travel to an unfamiliar location may be even more unsettling.

But when the best facility also is the least intrusive and most convenient, the choice is easy.”

Dr. Chaudry said the new MRI unit means patients at Monongahela Valley Hospital now have a “definitive choice in a convenient setting”.

Alberts also noted that the hospital’s free transportation van services include patients who need MRI services.

Individuals seeking more information about MRI services available at Monongahela Valley Hospital should contact their physician or the MVH MRI Service at 724-258-1697.