Northwestern Medical Center recently completed an upgrade project to replace its CT (Cat Scan) equipment, bringing improvements in imaging speed, quality and privacy.

The project involved renovation inside the existing department to expand the CT suite, adding two triage rooms and new waiting area for patients.

“This space will allow us to grow over the coming years as well as provide the space needed for our very dedicated and hard-working team to perform to the best of their ability to ensure our patients have the exceptional experience we want to offer,” said Director of Diagnostic Imaging Erica Coburn.

At an internal open house, Coburn thanked the many teams involved in planning and executing the complicated project, including the Facilities and Information Systems teams who were so instrumental in its success. During construction, a mobile CT unit was used to ensure no disruption of services to patients.

President and CEO Peter J. Wright, FACHE thanked the Diagnostic Imaging team, which includes Clinical Supervisor Bridget Thompson and Lead CT Tech Cynthia Bemis, for their dedication throughout the project. He also thanked NMC’s Board of Directors and the community for their unwavering support of the hospital.

CT scans are used to create detailed images of internal organs, bones, soft tissue and blood vessels. The cross-sectional images generated during a CT scan can be reformatted in multiple planes and can even generate three-dimensional images which can be viewed on a computer monitor, printed on film or transferred to electronic media. Patients may need a CT because of a stroke, trauma, cancer staging, surgery planning or for screening purposes.

The upgrade is a strong improvement in care delivery for NMC.

“The reduction in the time it takes to complete an exam directly correlates with quicker access times for our patients, as exams will take less time for completion. The replacement of the current equipment will also significantly improve the turnaround time for patients to start treatments,” said Coburn. “The sooner you can get treatment started, the better recovery those patients will have.”