Imaging Services

The Department of Imaging Services is comprised of the following sections: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, MRI, Ultrasound, and CT Scan. The department exists to provide diagnostic quality images to the interpreting radiologists and to assist the radiologists and other physicians in interventional and therapeutic procedures. The department's normal operating hours are from 7:00am to 7:00pm Monday through Friday, and 7:00am to 4:00pm Saturday. We provide staffing twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for emergency care.

PACS (Picture Archiving Communication System) Technology

When you're facing a health problem, a quick and accurate diagnosis is crucial so treatment can begin as soon as possible. As a result of the picture archiving communication system (PACS), diagnoses are made faster and with greater precision than before.

What is PACS?
With PACS, MRI, X-ray and CT images are captured and stored with digital technology. These images are then permanently stored in PACS, replacing the need for large volumes of film that take up valuable storage space. Radiologists have immediate access to these images for diagnostic interpretation. Moreover, referring physicians can analyze and manipulate the images through a secure Internet connection, whether at the hospital, office or home, providing second and third opinions for complex cases and reducing the need for patients to make multiple trips to their physicians.

PACS has opened the door to better patient outcomes and speedier diagnosis throughout the hospital—from the Emergency Room to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and beyond. In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where patients with brain injuries and other traumas depend on caregivers' split-second decisions, instant access to diagnostic images may mean the difference between life and death.
Benefits of PACS
- Immediate access to diagnostic images and reports, anytime, anywhere enables faster diagnosis, facilities consultation with specialists, and leads to better patient care.
- More clinical information delivered to the radiologist for accurate diagnosis.
- Improved service to referring physicians with remote access to images and reports.
- Integrated report generation speeds turnaround time and increase efficiency.
- Increased productivity and streamlined workflow.
- Improved ability to manage resources and balance workload.
- Annual cost savings of film and film handling.

Radiology

St Francis Medical Center Radiology Unit is a full service radiology department. We provide a full spectrum of diagnostic radiologic exams. Radiology provides coverage for outpatients, inpatients, surgery, the emergency department and trauma.

The department consists of two general-purpose suites, a tomographic suite, a dedicated chest unit with attached processor, and two fluoroscopy suites. There are three darkrooms within the department and an additional darkroom in surgery. There are two additional general-purpose rooms and a darkroom in the Medical plaza building located across the campus. We have six portable x-ray machines as well as two portable c-arms.

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Nuclear Medicine

The nuclear medicine department provides the full compliment of diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures. We have two state of the art gamma cameras enabling us to perform all procedures necessary with the highest quality standards.

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MRI

The MRI department at St. Francis operates six days a week performing a full range of magnetic resonance images. The department excels at non-invasive angiography. This low risk procedure allows our radiologists and vascular surgeons to make important patient care decisions without the inherent risks of invasive procedures such conventional angiography.

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Ultrasound

The Department of Imaging Services provides a full service ultrasound department. Our ultrasound section is accredited by the ACR for both ultrasound and vascular procedures. We provide excellent diagnostic quality images to our physicians through the use of three state of the art ATL ultrasound machines. We also provide therapeutic treatment to our patients with procedures such as thoracentesis and paracentesis. The ultrasound department provides on site coverage seven days a week and stand by coverage fills out the twenty-four hours of each day.

CT Scan

The CT scan department is proud to provide service with two spiral CT scanners, most notably a new GE LightSpeed multi-slice scanner. This exciting new technology allows us to perform ultrafast scans in as little as one minute. We can also produce excellent quality angiographic images in far less time, and with less risk than conventional angiography. The addition of this second scanner earlier this year has enabled us to provide continuous coverage to our trauma services while not delaying service to our non-trauma customers even while continuously increasing patient load.

We provide on-site CT coverage twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Peripheral Angiography

The department offers a full service diagnostic and interventional peripheral angiography service. We provide a broad spectrum of services including peripheral angiography, uterine artery embolization and most prominently, dialysis access management. We currently perform approximately six procedures per day. The angiography suite is available for scheduled procedures Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 5:30pm. We provide emergency coverage twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information, call us at (310) 900-2750.

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