Central Valley Medical Center—Enhancing the Patient and Staff Experience
BROUGHT TO YOU BY PHILLIPS.
Central Valley Medical Center (CVMC), a critical access hospital, is a key provider of emergency healthcare and trauma services to the communities surrounding Nephi, Utah. Located near a major interstate and a popular recreation area, CVMC is the region’s first hospital to install Philips’ ProxiDiagnost N90 digital radiography and fluoroscopy, which offers state-of-the-art digital technology with improved image quality, low radiation exposure, and an intelligent design that enhances patient experience and helps CVMC deliver cost-effective care.
The need for meaningful design
Clinicians at CVMC use digital radiography and fluoroscopy for such procedures as cortisone injections into joints, contrast injections for shoulder arthrography, and swallow-function studies.
Karson Morgan, MBA-HM, RT(R)MR, CVMC’s Director of Radiology, recounted some of the details that drove their selection of the Philips ProxiDiagnost N90 system. “Our last fluoroscopy system was from Philips, and there was no denying how well it was designed and how well it operated,” Morgan said. “Aside from the improvement in image quality we expected with the ProxiDiagnost, we were also able to incorporate it into better resource planning and a better experience for patients and staff.”
The ProxiDiagnost N90 digital radiography and nearby fluoroscopy was designed to maximize space for patient movement and size, and to promote component sharing with areas such as general X-ray.
“Philips was very mindful in designing the ProxiDiagnost system,” Morgan noted. “We’re able to do everything without compromising angles or space. And when we’re not doing fluoroscopy, we use the room as a general x-ray room.” Morgan explained that the new system was easy for clinicians to learn, as its operational interface, functions, and controls were the same as the previous system. “Our radiologists, who are not on site every day because they split time with another hospital, may have had a difficult time learning an entirely new system, but with the ProxiDiagnost, they were able to walk right in and know exactly what they were doing.”
The system provides CVMC radiologists with outstanding image quality, medical-grade monitors, and a large digital storage capacity for images. The images can also be easily moved to CVMC’s PACS to be shared with referring physicians and other members of a patient’s care team.
“The monitors make it so much clearer for the radiologists to see during the exam,” Morgan said, “and because of that, they are sometimes able to take fewer images. They don’t have to move the patient as much because they’re often able to see what they need from a single position. And patients are happier when they have a shorter exam.”
Radiologists especially appreciate the ProxiDiagnost N90’s fluoro grab function, which enables them to select a given image and create a higher definition of it to review when looking at the case later or writing the report.
Room to breathe
Traditional fluoroscopy systems generally make for a tight fit, potentially leaving patients with a less-than-pleasant experience. But Morgan explained that the new system gives staff and patients more room to move.
“Previously, the tower would come over the patient and the patient would have to make sure they didn’t make contact with it when lying down,” Morgan said. “When we were using the room for general X-ray, we had to make modifications to the tube or distance of the X-ray. One thing we love about the new system is that the tower goes all the way back and doesn’t touch the patient. We don’t have to alter our X-rays in any way because of the excellent spacing of the machine.”
Collaborating for success
As the first customer to use the ProxiDiagnost N90, the CVMC team worked hand in hand with Philips to ensure that the system was meeting or exceeding expectations.
“Philips spent a lot of extra time making sure that we knew the system and that the system was running smoothly,” Morgan said. “We met regularly over the first few months and reviewed every exam to maximize operational efficiencies of the system and they answered every question the staff had.”