Every Picture Tells a Story

Imaging Center offers the latest technology

Planning for the center began six years ago in response to an increasing demand for diagnostic imaging services on the Monterey Peninsula.

The reception area for Community Imaging Center at Ryan Ranch offers picturesque views, comfortable couches, stacks of the latest magazines, and peace and quiet to read them in.

But don't expect to get too far into the latest New Yorker. This facility has been designed to provide state-of-the-art imaging services with convenient appointments and minimal wait times.

Planning for the center began six years ago in response to an increasing demand for diagnostic imaging services on the Monterey Peninsula. Until last year, Community Hospital provided these services at the hospital and at Hartnell Professional Center. But according to Dann Ehnstrom, former director of Radiology Services, demand had exceeded capacity.

"With the opening of this new center in November 2004, we doubled the number of imaging appointments available," says Ehnstrom. "With just the two sites, we could offer routine appointments available within 7 to 10 days. The new center has reduced that to 48 hours." It's a crucial component for patients who hope to receive important medical news quickly.

The aging population, growth along the Highway 68 corridor, and modern healthcare's dependence on technology are key factors driving the demand for imaging services. "Imaging is becoming an essential, rather than optional, diagnostic tool," says Dr. Daniel Hightower, a radiologist and independent practitioner who is medical director of the center. "Physicians these days rarely rely on a physical exam alone to make a diagnosis. They use imaging to confi rm or refute their initial deduction."

Community Imaging Center offers computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and X-rays. Bonedensity testing is being added in 2006. Community Hospital has filled the center with state-of-the-art equipment and a stellar team of technologists guided by the same radiologists who serve patients at the hospital's other locations.

The center has the capacity not only to meet the current needs of the local community but to expand and adapt as new developments in imaging technologies become available. For example, the building has room to house additional MRI and CT scanners and new diagnostic equipment that is still under development. The potential for growth extends outside the building to two parking bays designed to accommodate additional scanners in mobile coaches.

Imaging technology is revolutionizing the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, according to Dr. Soteria Karahalios, medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Services at Community Hospital. She explains that coronary CT angiography, now also available at Community Imaging Center, has several benefi ts compared to traditional diagnostic cardiac catheterization

"A traditional angiogram requires insertion of a catheter into the femoral artery, which is guided up to the coronary arteries and into the heart. It is invasive, has some risks, and requires the patient to be monitored," Karahalios says. "In addition, the traditional procedure does not usually show details of plaque buildup, which can indicate vulnerable areas of an artery. However, for high-risk patients who are likely to need an intervention such as a stent or angioplasty, this is still the best approach because the intervention can be done at the same time."

On the other hand, Karahalios emphasizes, in the case of a patient who is low-risk and has atypical symptoms, or who has no symptoms but multiple risk factors, there are many advantages to using CT angiography to determine whether coronary disease is present. "CT angiography is quick and virtually painless, with no recovery time," she says. "It shows signifi cant blockages, the extent of plaque buildup on the artery walls, and whether intervention or treatment is needed to prevent or slow progression of the disease."

Despite its high-tech nature, the center feels more like a spa than a clinic. That's the advantage of an outpatient setting, Ehnstrom says. "In the hospital, inpatients and emergent cases take priority over scheduled, routine appointments. Outpatients can end up waiting for their appointments in a hectic and sometimes intimidating environment," he explains. "At Ryan Ranch, they are the only priority."

Impressive as the technology is, it still requires the expertise of the radiologists to ensure that the most appropriate tests are ordered and that accurate interpretations are made, just as at the hospital's other imaging locations.

"We work with referring physicians and patients to tailor exams to best meet the needs of each clinical situation," Hightower explains. "We're proud that we are able to provide the most accurate and timely diagnostic information available today. The Ryan Ranch location also gives us the flexibility to stay ahead of the curve and bring even more capable technologies to Community Hospital in the future."

Other services offered at our Ryan Ranch campus,2 Upper Ragsdale Drive, Monterey

• Diabetes and Nutrition Therapy Programs Suite D-200 o (831) 649-7220
  8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
•  Hospice of the Central CoastSuite D-210 o (831) 649-7750
  Providing hospice home care services 24 hours a day
• Community Health and Hospice Resource CenterSuite D110 o (831) 649-7755
  8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Satellite LaboratorySuite D120 o (831) 625-4811
  7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed for lunch noon-1 p.m.)
• Sleep Disorders CenterSuite D220 o 831) 649-7210
  Sleep studies by appointment only (Daytime support 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)