Precision Medical Imaging holds grand opening

Precision Medical Imaging, LLC, the only state-of-the art medical imaging service in the Western Pacific outside of Hawaii, held its ribbon-cutting ceremony last Friday to officially unveil one of the islands’ newest businesses.
The ceremony was attended by more than 50 guests that included government officials, Commonwealth Cancer Association officials, representatives of health care providers in the CNMI, and off-island visitors from Japan.

PMI vice president Joseph Guerrero said the idea behind the facility started when he wrote plans for it on a piece of napkin. He said his dream turned into reality, thanks to the help of his cousin, Joseph Santos, who is the president of PMI.

“I remember grabbing a cocktail napkin and started writing down a business plan, and of course everyone who knows me knows that it included lots of numbers and it showed that there was a real need, and we started to plan by bringing in a 128-slice machine,” Guerrero said.

He noted that they are now able to provide first class radiology and health care services to the people of the CNMI.

“They deserve nothing less,” he said.

Santos, who is a co-owner with Guerrero of St. Joseph’s Medical Transport in Guam and also the owner of St. Michael’s Medical Response on Saipan, said that they hired the only mammographic specialist in the CNMI, Nolia Muellersman.

“She is the only certified mammographic specialist in the CNMI and is now working for Precision but is also working for our public hospital,” Santos said.

Santos said they are planning in the next year on acquiring an MRI machine to complement the equipment at PMI.

He noted that they would be working in partnership with the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. and other health providers on the island.

Gov. Eloy S. Inos said he is proud of what Santos and Guerrero are doing to benefit the people of the CNMI.

“This will fully help our people, and they know it and will fully benefit patients in need of imaging services,” Inos said.

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) said this opening of a privately owned and operated radiology imaging center “is a first for the CNMI, a wonderful accomplishment for two entrepreneurs and a huge health benefit for our people.”

“Lives will be saved, costs for imaging reduced, travel inconveniences for patients eliminated, and jobs created,” he added.

CHCC chief executive officer Esther Muña said it is a great thing for the CNMI to now have its own medical imaging service provider.

“This of course will serve as a back-up for us, and we want to make sure that patients have access to getting a CT scan and, if our equipment breaks down, we know that there is another provider here on the island,” Muña said.

CCA board secretary Bobbi Grizzard echoed Muña’s sentiment.

“It is going to be a benefit for us people so we don’t have to go off-island. We can get treatment and diagnosed here and it’s fantastic that Santos and Guerrero has pulled through with this,” Grizzard said.

She noted that too many of her friends go off-island but that now Precision’s is here ‘”we know where to go.”

Santos said their CT scanner could detect tumors, cancers, and coronary heart disease in a non-invasive way.

“We can also produce four-dimensional sonograms and the first digital mammograms with our fully digital mammography machine,” Santos said.

PMI is located at the Springs Plaza on Middle Road and is a fully ADA-compliant center. All work is done through computers and a high technology efficient center with no paperwork needed for operations.

It is open from Monday through Friday, from 8am to 5pm. For more information, contact 233-4582. (Jayson Camacho)