The new mobile MRI unit at Gifford is spacious and features a skylight with seasonal imagery.
The Radiology Department at Gifford Health Care has a new and improved mobile unit to provide magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for patients in central Vermont.
The MRI unit, leased from the Center for Diagnostic Imaging, brings advanced technology to Gifford and provides a more comfortable patient experience than that offered by the hospital’s previous unit. Improvements include more room—the patient opening in the MRI scanner is bigger with a diameter of 70 centimeters, up from the previous model’s 60 centimeters—to lessen potential feelings of claustrophobia. The scanner also incorporates technology such as ComforTone, which reduces noise discomfort, ScanWise software that increases diagnostic options for patients with implants, and patient heat monitoring. In addition, the mobile unit features a skylight with seasonal imagery to create a calming environment.
MRI scans at Gifford are conducted by radiology technologists Karen Leister, Vanessa Kitterle, and Bob Wagner. The techs, who together have several decades of imaging experience, began using the new unit in December.
“The new MRI unit brings really advanced technology to our patients and improves their experience, giving them more room and reducing their exam times,” said Leister.
“This is superior technology for a small, community hospital,” said Kitterle. “Having worked all over the country, I can tell you that you won’t find this level elsewhere.”
The mobile MRI unit is located at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, Monday-Friday, and travels to Gifford’s clinic locations in Sharon and Berlin one day each month.
The Radiology Department at Gifford offers comprehensive diagnostic imaging services. Diagnostic imaging is completely digital, meaning images are available electronically to Gifford providers as soon as they have been completed. Radiology images are read by a team of highly-qualified, specialized physicians. For more information about radiology services at Gifford, including MRI, visit giffordhealthcare.org/service/radiology.
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