Ashtabula County Medical Center | ACMC Pulse | Summer 2019

ACMC Pulse  • Anniversary Issue • acmchealth.org 11 Ashtabula County Medical Center have all been committed to spending what is needed to improve our diagnostic imaging,” said ACMC Healthcare System President and CEO Michael Habowski. “The improvements are a good use of our resources because they help physicians and patients make better decisions about treatment.” Ashtabula General Hospital experienced significant growth in the ’60s and ’70s, and each time the Nuclear Medicine Department grew to accommodate the increased health needs of patients. When a new Cardiac Services Department was added in 1985 and when new physicians with The Ashtabula Clinic came on board in the early ’90s, diagnostic imaging was prepared to handle the new requests for imaging tests. In 1997, Cleveland Clinic radiologists were added to oversee and review all imaging tests. The future of diagnostic imaging includes even more technological upgrades, such as the most recent purchase, which begins its service this year. Thanks to the ACMC Foundation, the hospital purchased an $82,000 specimen imager, which will allow radiologists and surgeons to immediately view tissue samples removed Cleveland Clinic Radiologist Tom Jones, MD, places a specimen container in ACMC’s new specimen imager. during laparoscopic or open surgery. If a mammogram or breast MRI shows calcified tissue or a dense cluster of tissue, a surgeon can remove them for testing, either by stereotactic biopsy or open surgery. Once this calcification or density is removed, it can be viewed using the specimen imager to ensure the entire mass of tissue has been removed. An ACMC pathologist then tests the sample to determine if it is cancerous. “Technology upgrades are a key part of our commitment to Ashtabula County,” Habowski said. “Each new piece of equipment improves our diagnostic capabilities and keeps healthcare local.” For more information about the diagnostic imaging tests and locations, visi t acmchealth .org/services/diagnostic-imaging-radiology or call 440-997-6686 . EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES Women over the age of 40 should have yearly screening mammograms. To schedule your mammogram in Ashtabula, call 440-997-6686 . Conneaut offers walk-in screening mammograms Monday through Friday.