Opportunity arises from challenge at RH Medical Imaging
Friday, February 13, 2015 was a particularly inauspicious day for Medical Imaging at Richmond Hospital. While it was no secret that the old Siemens Polystar (c.1997) was reaching replacement age, no one expected it to flat line in the middle of a typically busy workday.
“The machine’s untimely demise took us by surprise and it quickly became evident how valuable this service was to Richmond Hospital,” recalls Jodi Duncan, Richmond site coordinator, Medical Imaging, of the Polystar’s sudden death “We pulled together a joint leadership team from Medical Imaging and Richmond Hospital to determine how best to deal with the situation and still preserve diagnostic access for our patients.”
Sensing there was no quick way to revive the old Polystar, planning for a new machine and necessary room renovations began. Arrangements were made so that some procedures, such as joint injections and interventional drainages, could continue to be done at Richmond Hospital. The loan of a portable C-arm from Burnaby Hospital ensured that urgent procedures could continue to be completed in-house. Patients with all other MI requirements were sent to several other hospitals in the Lower Mainland for their procedures.
Well worth the wait
Last week, MI staff gathered to celebrate the end of the renovation project, and completed installation of a new Siemens Artis Zee Multipurpose. The Artis Zee will be used for Angiography and Interventional Radiography. Services touched by this new room include Urology, Vascular, Speech Pathology, Bariatric, and General Surgery.
The new facility served its first patient on Monday, September 21.
The new MI Multipurpose Room officially opened last week. Pictured from left to right: Jodi Duncan, Richmond MI site coordinator; Lisa Hepburn, MRT; Dr. Ian Wong, chief radiologist; Brian Di Stefano, CT/MRI supervisor; and Jennifer MacKenzie, chief operating officer, VCH Richmond.
“Our new digital fluoroscopy machine allows us to visualize the human body on a video screen with much better image quality,” said Dr. Ian Wong, chief radiologist, Richmond Hospital. “It uses x-rays, but instead of a single image, we are able to see an entire video. This allows us to use it for many minimally invasive procedures, such as targeting a specific joint for a pain injection or placing a drainage catheter to relieve an infection or blockage. These procedures can be done quickly, without the need for general anesthesia, and patients go home the same day.”
Preserving high quality patient care
The Richmond MI team’s nimbleness to reorganize in a way that had minimal patient impact was praised by Richmond Chief Operating Officer Jennifer MacKenzie during a small celebratory get-together to mark the end of the project.
“Medical Imaging is one of the first touch-points that our patients have with Richmond Hospital and your professionalism and commitment to providing high quality patient care is evident every day,” she said. “These attributes really shone through when you came together earlier this year to continue to provide patient services after the untimely demise of the old fluoroscopy unit. I think we could all learn a lesson or two from your collective composure when facing challenging clinical and diagnostic circumstances. Thank you for that.”