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CHC gets mammogram scanner
Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther Muña poses with Commonwealth Cancer Association executive director Juan L. Babauta and Commonwealth Health Center radiology manager Dan Harding after unveiling the new mammogram film to digital scanner last Thursday. (Contributed Photo)
The Commonwealth Health Center unveiled last Thursday a new digital mammogram scanner that converts traditional x-ray film into digital format.
The Commonwealth Cancer Association and CHC officials unveiled the new film-to-digital scanner, which is projected to make diagnosis faster.
The new machine costs about $7,794, according to the CCA, which financed the purchase.
CHC Department of Radiology manager Dan Harding noted that the equipment upgrade allows patients who have had traditional x-rays the benefit of having a quicker and more accessible copy of their mammogram history.
“The advantages of digital mammography are the fact that we can do an exam one day, send it [to specialists] the same day… [and manipulate and interpret] those exams and get a quicker diagnosis and better diagnosis because of the digital nature of it,” he said.
According to Harding, what was previously a waiting period of about three to four weeks using the traditional mammogram film would take about three to four days only.
CCA executive director Juan L. Babauta clarified that their organization handled the financing of the procurement.
That means CHC’s radiology department is now fully digital.
“It’s made our department much more efficient and much more responsive,” Harding said.
He noted that about 60 to 70 women undergo a mammography with CHC monthly.
