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Health News: HNJH Receives Mammography Grant

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This is Health news from Helen Newberry Joy Hospital and Healthcare Center. Holly Mischel director of Diagnostic Imaging at Helen Newberry. Joy, and we talked with you over the years about major Imaging equipment upgrades. And the latest is exciting. It’s a mammogram upgrade. I understand that this is a very personal story for you and it started years ago. When you began your job search and cities both large and small and Helen Newberry Joy caught your eye equipment. And so when I became the director, I think it was in 2000 is thought that’s what drew me here. That’s was going to draw other people here is the equipment. So we need to keep up that end of it because that really was the thing that made me pick Newberry over different areas words within the last few years when you saw firsthand how state-of-the-art equipment can make a difference. I had two really good friends who passed away a year now. Tagalog from esophageal cancer and I went every single day every time I could take them to treatments and then even three years prior to that. I had a really good friend diagnosed with breast cancer. She was doing very well for a long time. Probably actually thought she was going to beat it and then six months ago she passed away and so you can’t help but think I wonder if we had different equipment. I wonder if both of their cases if it were to have been caught earlier, would have the outcome been different the equipment that we have now, its super exciting eyes are going to change people’s lives. Of catching cancer at stage four 5 will be able to catch cancer at 0 or 1 and maybe it would just be removing it and not having to watch their families their children their friends go through what I went through with both of them exactly. Forget have a major illness affects not just the patient with friends and family to so you teamed with Cassie faucet asking for a grant for this new technology Thomas synthesis. How is it different from a regular mammogram, you take two pictures on each breast. Usually, you would compress the breast up and down and then you can press the breast side to side between two plates Tomosynthesis or 3D mammography, which it’s also known for it has an arm that goes across that takes many cuts through the breast tissue, not just a single flat picture but it actually separates the tissue and you’ll be able to see thin slices through the breast so it spreads the tissue out. What you’re able to see very tiny calcifications lumps mass of something like that that you wouldn’t normally be able to see on just a conventional 2D mammogram. Fully approved imagery what’s the next step is to 3D man? And because our radiologist is off-site most of the time we would send the exam through the computer over to the radiologist's workstation. He would then right at the time be able to look at it. He is able to tell then the take additional pictures needed to be done right then and there the patient wouldn’t have to come back a week later with all the anxiety and worry that that may cause and be able to get the additional Imaging done along with this tomosynthesis. So many of the questions are answered in additional Imaging doesn’t have to be done right then the questions can be answered in the patient can be given the radiologist would let the Techno right then and there that it’s all good for 6 months or it’s good for a year and the patient doesn’t have to go home worrying and then get a phone call. We saw something we need you to come. I can right away that puts worry in the patient's eyes and they’re thinking automatically something bad has shown up when maybe it’s just additional Imaging that’s needed. Not necessarily bad just more pictures, but it causes that anxiety and fear with the Tomosynthesis many of those questions are answered. The radiologist will look at it the tack will then do the additional images if I needed and we don’t have to wait to call the patient bag. That’s what’s great about this technology through the distance grant were able to send the pictures to them were able then to send them to the doctors in the outline Clinic. Then when the patient goes back to discuss it with their doctor, they can pull the pictures up and I can have the pictures right there and show the patient what the radiologist is seeing. Thank you. Holly Mischel director of Diagnostic Imaging at Helen Newberry Joy.