The goal of this year’s Big SQUEEZE event is to raise funds to help Morrison Community Hospital purchase a Picture Archiving and Communication System.  The PACS System is used for storing, retrieving, transporting, displaying, and printing medical images throughout the hospital.  In short, PACS allows for all of a patient’s diagnostic imaging tests and reports to be stored in one large computer server.  PACS allows for radiology exams to be stored digitally vs. on films.

“With Morrison Community Hospital’s implementation of digital mammography, PACS will be an added bonus to our patients.  The digital mammography images will be able to be viewed by the radiologist on a highly-detailed workstation on the same day that the mammogram is done.  The workstation allows the radiologist to magnify or optimize a particular area and adjust the contrast of the image as needed.  With this benefit, the number of extra images that are sometimes required in analog images can be eliminated,” said Carol Hill, Director of Radiology, shown at left.  Angela McCray, Radiology Technician, is at right. 

Here are some of the ways the PACS system will benefit the patient:

• Decreased radiology report turnaround time
• Shorter wait times for diagnosis and treatment
• Instant display of vital patient information
• Simultaneous distribution of patient radiology information to multiple locations
• Increased radiology efficiency.

For example, when a physician walks into an exam room, all of the patient’s radiology images (CT, mammography, general x-rays, ultrasounds, etc.) as well as reports can be retrieved with the click of a button.  With this technology, the current exam can be compared to past exams.  For instance, this can help a physician determine whether the patient’s pneumonia has resolved since the last x-ray.

Patients will no longer have to carry around a large envelope with x-rays.  All of their radiology information, including reports, can be put onto a disc for them to take to their doctor’s office.  If their physician is in the hospitals network, they are able to pull up all of the patient’s images on their computer, within a few minutes of the exam being completed.  What a huge improvement compared to waiting for films to be processed!

Since images are stored electronically, they will be able to be viewed by multiple physicians in multiple locations at one time.  Patients do not have to worry about their information getting into the wrong hands though, as the information is sent through a highly-secured network that is visible by only the ordering physician or specialist.

With PACS, images are stored in more than one server or location.  This is so, that in case of a disaster, the images are not lost.  Images are stored in a local server, usually at the hospital, as well as another server at a separate location.

“Bringing digital radiography and mammography to our community is an example of our commitment to investing in advanced technologies.  This is just one more way that we are able to improve our quality of care for all of our patients,” said Hill.

While the PACS system is a fairly complicated piece of equipment, it is simple to see the added benefit to the patient.  If you would like to help the Morrison Community Hospital Foundation and the Big SQUEEZE Committee reach their goal of providing higher quality healthcare to Morrison and the surrounding area, please contact Chad Haskell, Director of Communications at 815-772- 5510.  


Article and photo courtesy of Chad Haskell, Director of Communications, Morrison Community Hospital