Elk Regional Health Center’s 24 hour Radiology Department has state-of-the-art technology to provide physicians with the vital information they need for diagnosis and treatment. All Radiologists at Elk Regional are Board Certified and participate in peer review. Images at Elk Regional are now digital and are viewed on a computer using a PACS system.
To schedule an appointment, call (814) 788-5445.
In addition to Women’s Imaging Services (which includes bone density scans, women's ultrasound, mammography and stereotactic breast biopsy), Elk Regional’s Radiology Department offers CAT Scans, MRI, nuclear medicine and PET CT Scans. To learn more about the radiology services provided here at Elk Regional, please use the links below.
CAT Scans | MRI | Nuclear Medicine | PET CT Scans | Women's Imaging Center |
Services in Ridgway & Emporium
CAT Scans:
A CT Scan can be performed for many reasons that can include – but aren’t limited to – abdomen pain, aneurysm size, cancer, blood clots in the lung, fractures of the spine.
Elk Regional Health Center’s CT Scan is located in the Radiology Department of the St. Marys campus and is overseen by a registered CT technnologist. Elk Regional’s CT machine is a 16 slice scanner and is much faster than a single slice machine.
CT Scan appointments are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Elk Regional also has second and third shift x-ray technologists cross-trained to cover emergency room exams. A CT tech is also on call 24 hours a day.
Elk Regional Health Center’s CT Department is accredited by the American College of Radiology. To schedule an appointment, call (814) 788-5445.
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MRI:
The MRI divides the body into 2D and 3D images, which are acquired using a magnetic field, no radiation is involved.
Elk Regional Health Center’s MRI is conveniently located in its own suite between the Medical Office Building and the main hospital, allowing patients easy access to the suite directly from the parking lot. A beautiful skylight creates the feeling of being outdoors and a “short bore magnet” is available to help claustrophobic patients.
Our MRI Department has friendly, registered technologists and is accredited by the American College of Radiology. Convenient MRI hours are available to accommodate the work force from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday. To schedule an appointment, please call (814) 788-5445.
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Nuclear Medicine:
Patients of nuclear medicine will first get an injection and will then wait a specified amount of time before the imaging can begin. This gives the injection time to get to the right part of the body.
Stress tests of the heart are also performed in the Nuclear Medicine Department. Nuclear medicine can also be ordered to check for cancer, hairline fractures, gall bladder function, and more. Elk Regional Health Center can often accommodate the patient with an echocardiogram scheduled on the same day if requested by a doctor.
Elk Regional Health Center's Nuclear Medicine Department accredited by the American College of Radiology.
The Nuclear Medicine Department is located in Elk Regional Health Center’s Radiology Department at the St. Marys campus. Appointments are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. To schedule a nuclear medicine test ordered by a physician, call (814) 788-5445.
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PET CT Scans:
PET CT is a combination of a CAT scan and a Nuclear Medicine study. An initial PET CT is usually acquired before cancer treatment. After treatment has been received, a follow up PET CT scan measures the response of the cancer to the treatment and allows physicians to adjust treatments and/or dosage sooner if no response is seen.
PET CT is used to evaluate the response of tumors to treatment, differentiate between residual tumor and scar tissue, improve the rate of detection of distant metastasis in patients with cancer, is an excellent study for evaluating lymph disease, provides a means to clearly diagnosis Alzheimer’s Disease from other types of Dementia.
Elk Regional Health Center’s PET CT is a mobile unit brought in every other week to provide a service to patients. The PET CT Department has a highly trained, competent staff and is accredited by the American College of Radiology.
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Women’s Imaging Center:
For the convenience of our patients, we offer DEXA scans, ultrasounds, mammograms and stereotactic breast biopsies together in one location for the convenience of the patient. Our new Women’s Imaging Center is a beautifully decorated office that offers women in the region convenient, private access to the diagnostic imaging services they need. The new Women’s Imaging Center is located on the first floor of the hospital, close to the main entrance in the old Pain Clinic office.
DEXA scans are tests that evaluate bone density. With these tests, a physician can see if a patient has or is at risk for osteoporosis. While this test is typically performed on postmenopausal women, it can be performed on any man or woman between the ages of 22 and 85.
The DEXA scan center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on Wednesday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. To schedule an appointment, please call (814) 788-5445.
Ultrasounds are normally ordered by a family physician for many different symptoms. Ultrasound testing uses sound waves to produce images and no radiation is involved. A technologist simply places cool gel on the area to be imaged and moves a round probe over the area.
Elk Regional offers two ultrasound locations to accommodate women having a mammogram or DEXA scan on the same day. These locations include the Radiology Department on the main floor of the hospital and a second location in the Women’s Imaging Center. Friendly, competent technologists staff both ultrasound locations. Our Ultrasound Department is accredited by the American College of Radiology.
Fetal ultrasounds are also performed at Elk Regional Health Center. A patient’s family is welcome to come into the room and share in the experience of seeing the unborn child.
Elk Regional Health Center offers convenient ultrasound appointments from 7:30am to 5:00pm to accommodate the working public. To schedule an appointment, call 814-788-8844. To talk to a technologist with any questions or concerns, call 814-788-8336.
Mammography is the process of using low-dose X-rays to examine the human breast. The breasts are compressed between two plastic plates in order for images to be acquired. A screening exam for cancer normally consists of 2 images of each breast.
Elk Regional Health Center is proud to be the first facility in our area to offer state-of-the-art digital mammography. The digital mammography system provides physicians with clear and precise all-digital images rather than images on X-ray film. The system provides the largest field of view currently available, which can be extremely helpful for precision imaging of patients with diverse shapes and sizes. Digital mammography images are clear and easy to read and they offer an excellent view of the breast. Digital images are ready to read within 10 seconds and take half the time of a traditional film mammography. If a second opinion is needed, the image can be sent electronically to a consulting physician virtually instantaneously.
Elk Regional Health Center’s Mammography Department is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate today’s working woman.
Our Mammography Department has competent, registered mammography technologists who are sent to seminars yearly to stay current on the latest developments in breast health. Our Mammography Department is conveniently located in a private location in the Women's Imaging Center.
All radiologists at Elk Regional Health Center are board certified. Elk Regional’s Mammography Department is accredited by the American College of Radiology and the Mammography Quality Standards Act. To schedule an appointment, please call (814) 788-5445.
Stereotactic breast biopsy pinpoints the exact location of a breast mass by using a computer and x-rays taken from two different angles. Using these computer coordinates, the radiologist inserts the needle through the skin, advances it into the lesion and removes tissue samples.
Physicians use stereotactic biopsies to investigate suspicious solid masses, any distortions or abnormal change in breast tissue and any new masses found at old surgery sites. Stereotactic breast biopsy is also performed when a non-surgical method of assessing a breast abnormality is preferred by either the patient or the physician.
To learn more about stereotactic breast biopsy, you can visit Mammotome, the company that provides us with stereotactic breast biopsy services. For more information, click their logo below.
Radiology Services in Ridgway & Emporium
Elk Regional also offers radiology services in Emporium, at the office of Dr. Scott McKimm, and at our Ridgway campus.
Hours at our Emporium location are:
Monday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Our Ridgway facility is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. To schedule an appointment, please call (814) 788-5445.