The addition of the new equipment is just one in a number of changes patients will see at the hospital.
MANISTIQUE -- In an effort to keep up with the rapid growth in medical technology, Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital has recently installed new imaging equipment with eight times as much capability than before. But the addition of the new equipment is just one in a number of changes patients will see at the hospital.
Recent renovations have turned what used to be an old storage room into a new home for the hospital's new CT Imaging System. The CT scanner is used to generate three-dimensional images to help diagnose health problems inside a patient.
The hospital went from a 4-slice scanner to a 32-slice which means it's able to produce eight times more data and images per rotation.
"With the increase in information, the physicians have so much more data, actually a lot more data, and they're able to make better diagnoses," explained Radiology Department Manager, Julie Baker.
The new piece of equipment is part of an $800,000 series of upgrades and renovations at the hospital. The new CT room moved from across the hall from the ER to now just through a door. Officials say the new move makes for easier patient flow during emergencies.
"Now we're able to move patients directly to the CT scanner through the Emergency Department without having to go into public space," said ER physician, Dr. Randy Olli. "So not only is our patient flow better, but we're also just a little bit closer to the ER as well. So if a patient were to be critically ill and in a CAT scanner, it'll be very easy for us to walk through the door."
The hospital even added extra rooms for patients as well. What used to be the original CT room is now used for additional treatment rooms at the hospital, and officials will also be able to use it for overflow from the ER.
The hospital sees about 3,200 ER patients each year and conducts close to 2,000 CT scans.
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