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To schedule an MRI exam,
call
402-644-7121
.
NOT ALL
the advancements in
technology are happening in smart-
phones, televisions and cars.
Consider science and medicine,
for example, most notably the latest
advancements for magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI), including the latest tech-
nology now available at Faith Regional.
Gone are the days when patients are
enclosed in a noisy, dark tunnel for an
hour.
Custom comfort
With the new MAGNETOM
®
Aera 1.5T
Open Bore MRI system from Siemens
Healthcare, patients can listen to re-
corded music they bring, get scanned
in a quieter machine in about half the
time and have the machine tailored to
their body.
Tailoring it to body type helps to
maximize comfort and reduce the
claustrophobic feeling some people
had with older MRI units.
Equally important, the images
that are created for doctors are more
precise. The new MRI provides sharp,
highly detailed pictures that can be
used for a range of medical needs,
including looking inside the heart,
brain, back, knee or breast.
“What Faith Regional has done is
listen to what patients have wanted
and what bothered them the most
and addressed it,” says Faith Regional
radiologist Brian Vonk, MD.
“The images that come out of this
thing are stunning,” Dr. Vonk says.
“The detail is phenomenal.”
That also means enhanced breast
imaging and cardiac imaging, as well
as better imaging for injured knees,
shoulders or other body parts of ath-
letes or anyone else.
Previous magnets may not have
picked up a subtle tear from a knee
injury or may have required x-ray dye
to nd the problem.
Helping hearts
Faith Regional cardiologist Azariah
Kirubakaran, MD, says there are many
conditions related to the heart for
which the MRI will be able to provide
signi cant information to assist in
treatment, a rst at Faith Regional.
“It’s the gold standard as far as eval-
uating scar tissue in the heart muscle
and locating heart muscle strength or
function,” Dr. Kirubakaran says.
For people who have a dif cult time
getting a good stress test, this MRI
will allow for clear views of the heart,
he says.
Dr. Kirubakaran says patient expo-
sure to radiation has gone up dramati-
cally in the past 15 years, including
from CT scans of the heart.
With this MRI, which can provide
access for patients up to 550 pounds,
there is no radiation.
This MRI actually is more advanced
than those found at the top hospitals in
Omaha and is used in some of the top
teaching hospitals in the U.S., includ-
ing the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,
Minnesota. There no longer is a need to
travel to Omaha or Lincoln to get the
most advanced MRI available.
“The Faith Regional Foundation is
excited to provide some of the funding
for the new MRI unit that will enhance
patient care and allow more patients
to receive the most advanced care in
the region,” says Jake Claussen, execu-
tive director of the Foundation and
Physician Recruitment and Retention.
“The Foundation remains committed to
providing assistance for various initia-
tives that support the mission and vision
of Faith Regional Health Services.”
NEW MR I SYSTEM IMPROVES PAT I ENT COMFORT AND DIAGNOSIS
J
ERRY
G
UENTHER
,
N
ORFOLK
D
AILY
N
EWS
Faith Regional Health
Services radiologist Brian
Vonk, MD, displays an MRI
image of a brain produced
by the new MRI machine.
Faith Regional’s two-ton
unit is the second of its
type in Nebraska and
offers the most powerful
gradients in the industry.
Latest technology
produces stunning images
Photo courtesy
Norfolk Daily News
Funding for purchase
of the new MRI system
was provided in part by
the Faith Regional Health
Services Foundation.
10 FAITH REGIONAL
HEALTH SERVICES