Ashtabula County Medical Center | ACMC Pulse | Summer 2019

10 ACMC Pulse  • Anniversary Issue • acmchealth.org IN THE 1950s, Ashtabula General Hospital made it its mission to bring to Ashtabula County the most current medical technology of the time. Services such as x-rays and medical fluoroscopy were made available to help general practice physicians come to a diagnosis. The focus of the new use of radioactive isotopes was the thyroid and, in a way, ACMC has now come full circle with its newest 21st century equipment to improve diagnostic tests. “Our newest computed tomography (CT) equipment provides much more detailed information of the inside of our bodies than in that earliest equipment,” said ACMC Diagnostic Imaging Director Nancy Shaw-Hertzog. “But the CT scanner can also be used to see the heart, lungs, bone, soft tissue and more, which—along with other recent equipment innovations—improves ACMC’s ability to diagnose and offer treatment options for patients.” Atomic to Digital Age Shaw-Hertzog said other recent Radiology Department improvements provide a better patient experience. The exams are quicker and more comfortable, and the images are of the highest quality for the radiologist. “With each successive generation of technology, the leaders of Ashtabula General Hospital and 2013 + + Upgrades to breast MRI. 2016 + + Added a digital ultrasound unit and a 64-slice CT scanner with digital fluoroscopy. 2014 + + Added mammography and x-ray to Conneaut Family Health Center and x-ray to Jefferson Family Health Center. 2012 + + Invests $1.5 million for a new digital MRI. 2006 + + ACMC brings mobile PET (positron emission tomography) scanner to make cancer detection easier. Also added a $1.4 million 40-slice CT scanner. 2010 + + Adds new 16-slice CT scanner with fluoroscopy. 2018 + + Added ultrasound and x-ray to Ashtabula Family Health Center and two new nuclear cameras and a specimen imager at ACMC. 2017 + + Invests $1 million to renovate and create fully digital x-ray rooms. Also added 3-D mammography technology. Smart investments ACMC comes full circle with diagnostic imaging