Eastern Plumas Health Care’s new 16 slice, digital CT scanner just received its gold seal accreditation from the American College of Radiology, which is considered “the gold standard of accreditation” in hospital imaging, according to Radiology Supervisor, Mischele Dillon.
CT scans take a series of x-ray views from many different angles. It uses state of the art computer technology to process the multiple views in order to create cross-sectional images of bones and soft tissue. A CT scan gives your doctor much more information than a traditional x-ray; it can even create a 3D image.
CT scans have many uses, but they are especially good at detecting and diagnosing internal injuries from car accidents or other types of trauma. They can also help diagnose muscle and bone disorders, such as tumors and fractures; detect and monitor diseases and conditions such as cancer, heart disease, lung nodules and liver masses; pinpoint the location of a tumor, infection, or blood clot; or, guide procedures such as surgery, biopsy, and radiation therapy.
While a CT scan exposes you to more radiation than a traditional x-ray, it also is a much better detection and diagnostic tool. EPHC’s new 16 slice CT scanner’s ACR accreditation means it offers the highest level of image quality and patient safety. The hospital’s scanner uses “Dose Right” software, which delivers “the lowest possible amount of radiation necessary to get the best possible study,” as Radiographer Meredith Eaton explained. The CT scanner’s computer automatically adjusts the dose based on the size of a person; it offers “child-sized” radiation doses for pediatric CTs; and, it even changes dosage from one body part to another. For instance, a person’s neck requires a smaller dose than does a shoulder or chest.
The ACR Gold Seal of accreditation is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR’s rigorous standards after an evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Image quality, personnel qualifications, quality of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed.
EPHC requests the rigorous ACR accreditation process to ensure that their new state of the art CT scanner and its radiologists are functioning at the highest level possible. Patients can feel confident that their scans will be as safe, rapid, and accurate as possible. As a patient, you should feel free to ask your doctor why this screening is being ordered for you. If a CT scan is the best choice for you, make sure that you have your scan done by a machine that is ACR accredited.