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Baptist Imaging Center expansion expected to open in June



Western Baptist Hospital’s newest expansion, a $9.2 million addition to the Baptist Imaging Center, will be a one-stop shop for imaging services, including mammography at the outpatient center.

The expansion, a 5,460-square-foot addition to the 5-year-old freestanding center on the campus’ west end, is expected to be completed in June. The entrance is at 28th and Kentucky Avenue, and visitors can park conveniently close to the door.

“We have separate parking and you can drive up under the canopy for protection against weather,” said Bob Seely, radiology director. “Visitors will find all the services they need under one roof.”

Approximately $7 million in new equipment includes a second MRI system, PET CT with separate waiting room, nuclear medicine camera, a mammography suite with a spa-like atmosphere, bone density services and two ultrasound rooms. Patients can expect same-day results from radiologists on-site.

Imaging Center Supervisor Betty Brown said the improvements include:

  •  Mammography and bone density services. Those services will continue to be available in the hospital for inpatients, but adding them to the freestanding center makes them more convenient for outpatient appointments. “Our women’s area will feature a water wall, fresh flowers and a separate waiting and changing areas for women,” Brown said.
  •  MRI, CT and ultrasound. In addition to the center’s existing open MRI system, a second MRI will make scheduling easier for outpatient tests. “The No. 1 thing is there is going to be another MRI,” said radiologist Eric Shields, M.D. “We will have a rapid turnaround time. This will make it easier and quicker for patients to get in.”
  • PET CT scanning and nuclear medicine. PET CT scanning is a diagnostic tool used for the staging and treatment planning of a new cancer diagnosis. When the PET CT is not in use, it can do double duty, providing an additional CT scanner. Also nuclear medicine services, such as bone or gallbladder scans, will be available in the expanded center for outpatients.

Dr. Shields said the current PET CT in a mobile unit is available only five days a week. “The new PET CT is a permanent piece of equipment,” he said. “That is another added convenience to patients.”

Western Baptist’s radiology services are accredited by the American College of Radiology, and the hospital has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, a distinction awarded to just the top 3 percent in the nation. Breast imaging services are fully accredited in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, breast ultrasound and ultrasound-guided breast biopsy.