New hospital equipment better serves patient comfort, safety

Pulaski Memorial Hospital (PMH) staff are seeing a quick return in patient comfort in newly installed diagnostic imaging equipment. 
The upgrades of three major pieces of diagnostic imaging equipment, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine, CT (computed tomography) scanner and echocardiogram, are not only giving doctors state-of-the-art images but also improving patient safety. 
The installation of the new equipment was part of the long-term hospital plan to upgrade equipment and renovate the facility. The MRI machine was previously located in a semi trailer outside the emergency room and leased, while the CT scanner and echocardiogram were outdated. 
The mobile unit has been used by the hospital for the last eight years. According to Aleta Cable, lead MRI technician, the mobile unit was dark and was described as a wall with a hole in it. 
She said a number of people would not accept MRI service from the hospital because of the mobile unit area causing claustrophobia.  
The new unit is a wide bore MRI machine. It allows for better diagnostics and the ability to do different examinations instead of the basics. Minix said the MRI is a high-field magnet with a high resolution and offers a better quality of the images.