PMH Offers High Tech Imaging

Pullman Memorial Hospital is the region's first and only digital imaging center with newly incorporated technology.

Though treatment rooms look the same, the development and reading procedures are unlike the past or current practices in most hospitals today.

The new technology called computed radiography takes x-rays on digital plates rather than films at the time the image is captured. The plate is then loaded into a reader which brings the digital image onto the computer screen.

Digital imaging allows radiologists and technicians much more control of patient images. With the click of a mouse, the image can magnify to show further detail and adjust contrast levels, increasing accuracy of diagnosis. Adjustment is simple and reduces the need for repeat x-rays.

In addition, computed radiography is much more cost effective than traditional film usage because film, developers and folders are no longer needed. The technology allows the department to focus on state-of-the-art patient care, not office supplies.

After input, the image is stored in a secure web-based archive which physicians can readily access and bring patient x-rays into their office. The mobility of the images cuts down on patient care time.

The electronic archives of images are also kept indefinitely at the hospital and can be burned onto a CD in minutes. The archiving system allows PMH to work hand in hand with the Spokane physicians and hospitals, which have similar technology.

In addition to computed radiography, CT and MRI scans and Nuclear Medicine tests are all done digitally and allow immediate viewing.

Digital mammography will be added later this year in the new hospital.