posted
on 5/20/2024
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Features
By Sarah Stortz, Carroll Times Herald
The first day of use for the new CT scan was April 29. The CT scan is one of their newest pieces of technology alongside their MRI, which was put in service July of 2023.
Jordan Raine, MRI technologist and CT technologist for St. Anthony Regional Hospital, said the scanner was necessary to bring due to the increase in need.
Standing by the MRI, from left to right are Leisha Grindle, Jenna Thelen and Jordan Raine.
“As Carroll grew, so did the need for health modalities in the area,” Raine said. “As the need for health services increased, they decided that they needed to install a CT scanner.”
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, a CT scan can show detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, organs and blood vessels. The reasons patients would undergo a CT scan can vary, including strokes, forms of trauma, cancer staging, surgery planning and screening purposes.
Raine said their new CT scans can also do calcium scorings and low-dose lung screenings.
Low-dose lung screenings are for patients who are at high risk for developing lung cancer because of their smoking history.
For calcium scorings, the CT scans go through the heart, detecting calcium buildup in the arteries, which allows staff to help with preventive interventions to prevent heart attacks and other heart diseases.
Despite both the MRI and CT scan looking similar and being able to take photos, their technology is largely different. A CT scan is radiation based while an MRI uses magnets to interact with the water molecules in a body to get pictures.
MRIs take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours while CT scans can be between 5 to 20 minutes. For sounds, MRIs are usually loud while CT scans are quiet.
Raine said the hospital offered MRI services for a long time, but they brought in their new MRI scanner because of how much the technology has advanced. These advancements include breast MRI, prostate MRI and brain perfusion imaging.
Brenna Simmons, CT technologist for St. Anthony Regional Hospital, said having the equipment can help prevent unnecessary travel for patients.
“That way, patients don’t have to drive all the way to bigger cities to get that stuff done,” Simmons said.
By investing in the best diagnostic imaging technology, Raine said it helps the hospital continue to provide necessary care.
“If we fall behind the curve, we can’t offer the care that our patients deserve,” Raine said.
Leisha Grindle, MRI technologist for St. Anthony Regional Hospital, said working in the radiology department provides technological opportunities on top of providing healthcare.
“I feel like we like healthcare, but we also like the technology side of things,” Grindle said.
Similarly, Raine said she enjoys the pace of the radiology department.
“I like patient care, but I like a high paced environment,” Raine said.
The radiology department also offers general radiography, mammography, ultrasounds, and nuclear medicine.
For more information, www.stanthonyhospital.org/services/radiology or call the hospital at 712-792-3581.
Standing by the new CT scan, from left ot right are Leisha Grindle, Jorden Ruldolph, Jordan Raine, Brenna Simmons, Stephanie Drees, and Jenna Thelen.
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