Chula Vista, CA—September 21, 2009. Imaging Healthcare Specialists,
San Diego’s largest family of independent, outpatient medical imaging centers,
today announces the opening of a brand new facility
in South Bay. The new center, located in
the Gateway Chula Vista Building at 333 H Street, expands upon the services
offered at the former location on L Street where they operated for more than 10
years. Chula Vista residents now have convenient access to new state-of-the-art
imaging equipment, more diagnostic services and a unique and personal patient experience.
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Imaging Healthcare Specialists Enters Into Sponsorship Agreement with
the San Diego Chargers
Imaging Healthcare Specialists has entered into a sponsorship agreement with the
San Diego Chargers that will involve co-marketing initiatives including IHS advertisements
in the Chargers’ Game Day magazine. Recognized as the premier provider of
outpatient medical imaging services in the greater San Diego vicinity, Imaging Healthcare
Specialists is pleased to partner with the Chargers and will, among other things,
sponsor the Chargers Injury Report on their official web site: www.chargers.com
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Statement Regarding Radiation Dose in CT Exams - October, 2009
Recent articles in professional journals and the press have raised important concerns
about the use of CT and associated radiation dose. Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles gave patients undergoing CT
brain scans some eight to 10 times the radiation they should have received. The
hospital admitted its mistake, but apparently it has been going on for 18 months
and has impacted at least 200 patients. In response, a number of professional
societies formed the Image Gently Alliance to reduce or “child size”
the radiation dose when performing CT on children. Noting that one size does not
fit all, this concept may be applied to all CT examinations on all patients.
At Imaging Healthcare Specialists, we have taken the Image Gently pledge. Early
in their training, our radiologists are taught the concept of ALARA (as low as reasonably
achievable) to limit the use of ionizing radiation exposure when imaging patients.
There exists a tradeoff, however, between lowering the radiation dose and achieving
appropriate image quality which must be carefully balanced. As the radiation
dose is reduced images may appear noisier but not necessarily less diagnostic. It
is useful to remember that the average background radiation exposure that people
receive in their everyday environment is 3 mSv (milliseiverts) per year. A
CT scan of the abdomen is approximately 6-8 mSv which translates to 2-3 years of
background radiation. This is a useful number for patients to be aware of and provides
them with a realistic perspective of radiation dose. While growth in the use of
CT in recent years has been substantial, this growth is largely appropriate with
many lives saved and invasive procedures avoided. While we should not over react
to this potential risk, we should take measures to reduce radiation exposure and
educate patients and physicians on the risks, benefits and alternatives for various
imaging examinations.
Please rest assured that your CT examination at Imaging Healthcare Specialists will
be customized to maximize quality and minimize radiation dose. With CT, several
factors contribute to radiation dose including tube current (mAs) and peak kilovoltage
(kVp). There is a linear relationship between tube current and dose such that a
50% reduction in current results in a 50% reduction in dose. A more dramatic dose
reduction can be achieved by lowering the peak kilovoltage as this is related to
radiation dose in a non-linear fashion. We use a combination of techniques based
on body mass index to tailor each CT examination to reduce the radiation dose to
the lowest possible level. When possible, we limit the z-axis or length of coverage
and the use of multiphase exams. And finally, we place bismuth breast shields on
our female patients to reduce radiation exposure to breast tissue and diminish the
risk of induced breast cancer.
At Imaging Healthcare Specialists, we hope to provide you a convenient, high quality
experience from start to finish. Please do not hesitate to call our radiologists
with any questions or concerns.
Download Statement Regarding Radiation
Dose in CT Exams - October, 2009
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Stereotactic Breast Biopsy - What you should Know
This is a simple and safe procedure performed at various San Diego Imaging locations
by our team of breast imaging specialists. Advanced computer imaging technology
is used to map the precise location of the area of interest in the breast that was
seen on your mammogram.
This technology aids the physician in removing a small section of the suspicious
tissue with pinpoint accuracy. The sample is sent to pathologist, a physician specializing
in the analysis of tissue samples under a microscope for diagnosis. The entire biopsy
should take approximately an hour.
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Imaging Healthcare Specialists Hosts 6th Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Imaging Healthcare Specialists, a medical imaging company with 15 outpatient centers
in the greater San Diego area,
San Diego, California, August 5th, 2009: Imaging Healthcare Specialists,
a medical imaging company with 15 outpatient imaging centers in the greater San
Diego area, is hosting its 6th Annual Charity Golf Tournament again, on Wednesday,
September 16, 2009 at the Coronado Municipal Golf Course.
This year’s event will benefit Fresh Start Surgical Gifts again, a local non-profit
organization that provides free reconstructive surgery for children with physical
deformities caused by birth defects, accidents, abuse or disease.
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Imaging Healthcare Specialists Sponsors North County Fight Club
Imaging Healthcare Specialists has entered into a sponsorship agreement with North
County Fight Club (NCFC) which involves co-advertising initiatives and imaging care
for NCFC’s athletes. NCFC sponsors approximately fifty mixed martial arts
(MMA) fighters and is one of the premier management companies in the fast-growing,
international MMA sector.
For more information on NCFC, visit their website
www.ncfc.tv.
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Imaging Healthcare Specialists Provides Sub Specialty Expertise for All
Mammography Patients
Imaging Healthcare Specialists is drawing on the sub-specialized expertise of our
radiologists to provide centralized professional interpretations for our mammography
patients. The partnership between the radiologists from our two medical groups represents
the largest professional radiology service network in our area and in a collaborative
effort will provide sub-specialized readers to interpret all mammography exams done
at our facilities.
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Imaging Healthcare Specialists Installs Digital Mammography at Six Area
Facilities
IHS has installed digital mammography at its locations in San Diego, Hillcrest,
Encinitas, Poway, Temecula and San Clemente. Digital mammography offers several
advantages over conventional mammography including improved sharpness and visibility
of the breast, lower radiation dose and the reduction in the likelihood of patient
callbacks.
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Imaging Healthcare Specialists Awarded ACR Accreditation in Mammography
IHS has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in mammography as a result
of a recent survey by the American College of Radiology. The ACR awards accreditation
to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards after a peer review
evaluation of the practice by board-certified physicians and physicists who are
experts in the field. IHS currently offers digital mammography at four locations
and will be expanding this service to additional locations in the coming weeks.
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64 Slice CT Available at Imaging Healthcare Specialists’ Heart
Imaging Center Facility in La Jolla
Imaging Healthcare Specialists has installed San Diego’s first outpatient
64 slice CT scanner at the Heart Imaging Center in La Jolla’s UTC area. The
64 slice CT is faster and produces higher resolution images, making it ideal for
routine studies but particularly well suited for coronary artery calcium scoring
(CACS) and coronary CT angiography (CCTA) studies to help diagnose heart disease.
Through the utilization of non-invasive diagnostic imaging with the 64 slice CT,
patients are able to avoid longer, more costly invasive procedures.
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