Often when patients go to a healthcare facility for an imaging procedure they experience feelings of fear and anxiety. They don’t know the technologist, they don’t know the facility, they don’t know what their results will be. That is not what patients at Derry Imaging experience.
Today we are going to tell you a story of ‘Hope’ (capitalized and quoted for a reason you’ll learn later on…) and a new leader, Michael Eastman.
Michael joined Derry Imaging as the Director of Imaging relatively recently, but his passion for imaging and his experience offers patients long-term comfort. Mike is all about easing minds and making imaging an affordable, relaxing and friendly experience. In order to execute this, he and the staff at Derry Imaging have made many intentional choices.
Keeping Costs Low and Standards High
For instance, Derry Imaging patients do not see increases in costs when new technology is brought in. It’s just the standard of care.
“We frequently upgrade our medical imaging equipment and software to provide superior image quality. It varies based on the imaging modality, but we work hard to stay ahead of the curve and to always meet or exceed industry standards. We do not upcharge or increase our prices when we bring in new equipment or technology. For example, we didn’t charge patients any additional fee for 3D Mammography. We believe that 3D Mammography is the standard of care and that it shouldn’t cost patients more. We believe that high quality shouldn’t have to come at a high cost,” said Eastman.
Speaking of advancements, Derry Imaging recently added in several big time technological advancements that are vital to providing the best care possible.
“In addition to our new scanners, our MRI and CT Scan here at our Bedford location, we are also upgrading our Breast MR CAD System. We are also exploring some new procedures such as SPG Blocks to assist with migraine relief and we are preparing to start a new low dose lung cancer screening program,” said Eastman.
Less Anxiety
Patients who experience claustrophobia will love Derry Imaging’s conscious choices to ease patient stress.
“Our new MRI Scanner is very helpful for claustrophobic patients, It is a Wide Bore MRI Scanner, which has a up to a 40% larger opening than traditional MR Scanners. It also has a 1.5T, which compared to an Open MRI Scanner, delivers superior image quality in less time. This is because most of these scanners are only .3 – 1.2T magnets and the lack of strength means the scan is of lower quality and takes longer to obtain. Reducing procedure time for claustrophobic patients is very important to help them successfully complete their exams. 1.5T magnets are the standard of care,” noted Eastman.
Even with the many technological advancements, Mike and his staff know that anxiety is natural. However, the entire team is there for patients to help keep them calm, cool and collected.
Eastman said, “Having an imaging exam can cause anxiety, but it is very common for MRI patients. In my experience as an MRI Technologist, the following list of tips have helped hundreds of patients get through their MRIs:
- Know that it is okay to be nervous or anxious. Millions of patients have experienced the same anxiety and successfully completed exams. You can too!
- Learn about the exam by asking questions or researching. What noises will the machine make? How does the procedure go? How long will you be in the machine?
- Make a communication plan with the MRI Tech. You are not alone, the Tech will be right there and can talk to you during the test.
- The MRI Tech is trained to help you through the exam. We have tricks to help you from covering your eyes and soothing music to aromatherapy, which has been clinically proved to help with anxiety.
- Take your mind off of the exam. Focus on your breathing or count. Go to your ‘Happy Place.’
- Try thinking of your exam as a little break. As a parent this may be the only 30 – 60 minutes that you have that day where someone isn’t constantly saying ‘Mom’ or ‘Dad.’
If those don’t work, you can always talk to your provider about a prescription for some anti-anxiety medication before the exam.”
The Difference is in the Details
Beyond the machines themselves, technology is in every element of Derry Imaging. For example, Eastman noted that, “our CT Scanner has cutting edge technology that allows the CT Tech to operate the scanner with a tablet, right in the scan room. This allows for the Tech to be with the patient during the scan. Our MRI Scanner allows us to the opportunity to accommodate claustrophobic patients and to provide them with more scheduling flexibility. We bring the same scanner to our Derry location on a mobile unit once a week, but now we can provide this service every day in Bedford.”
Taking a step back from technology, there are other special advantages to Derry Imaging.
According to Eastman, “Derry Imaging is appealing to people for a variety of reasons. To a patient as a consumer, we offer a great value. The scans are 40 – 70% less than most other imaging providers, which can result in thousands of dollars in savings. With healthcare deductibles and copays on the rise, it is important for patients to become educated on what their medical imaging will cost and to be empowered to speak to their provider about exercising their right to choose where to get services. Derry Imaging provides patients with transparency. Unlike other providers who will not provide pricing until the exam has already been completed and a bill has been issued, Derry Imaging will provide an estimated price quote individually tailored to the patient and their insurance.
I also feel like Derry Imaging provides the same or better quality that patients would receive at other facilities. We do not send scans to Radiologists in ‘remote locations’ for interpretation because our board certified, specialty-trained Radiologists are part of our onsite team. We are also certified by the ACR in all its imaging modalities and we are also honored to be an ACR Breast Center of Excellence.
Finally, Derry Imaging provides convenient hours and locations that are often less intimidating than having images taken in a hospital setting.”
Hope
We would like to end this article with a story that we guarantee you won’t hear elsewhere. The Derry Imaging MRI Scanner has a name and a mission. Her name is ‘Hope’.
“The Installer of the MRI Scanner travels around the country to install MRI Magnets and starts each year naming the scanners (like hurricanes) beginning with the letter ‘A’. When installing our magnet, we were on letter ‘H’ and he named our scanner ‘Hope.’ He writes the name inside the scanner during the installation.
‘Hope’ – I couldn’t think of a better name. Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Patients come to us with hope. Hope that they get an answer for why they are in pain. Hope that their loved ones are okay. Hope that their fracture healed correctly. Hope that they do not need surgery.
Hope also means a feeling of trust. The kind of trust patients place in us at Derry Imaging when they choose to come to our facility for their medical imaging needs. Patients have a choice of where they go for their medical care and Derry Imaging develops this trust with patients. We do this by providing high quality imaging at low cost with Board Certified Radiologists on-site to read the scans and communicate the results in a timely fashion to the ordering provider.
‘Hope’ is what we strive for,” concluded Eastman.
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Learn more about Derry Imaging by clicking the image below.
