AMI - Advanced Medical Imaging

AMI South Kitsap Office to open January 2009

Advanced Medical Imaging is pleased to announce the opening of their newest location. Our Women's Diagnostic Center of South Kitsap has been in operation since December 2007, offering direct digital mammography and DEXA bone scans. Plans are to increase the imaging in Port Orchard to include a state-of-the-art high field open MRI, 16-slice CT, digital x-ray and ultrasound, as well as mammography and DEXA scans. The office will re-locate to a new suite number - #110 - but will remain on the Harrison Medical Center South Kitsap campus.

High-Field Open MRI - Excellence in Technology

AMI is pleased to offer our patients and referring physicians the latest technology in open MRI with high field accuracy and imaging excellence. Our new Hitachi Oasis is an 'open air' style scanner, one of the most advanced in the imaging industry. With spatial resolution better than 1.0 mm and contrast resolution unmatched in the industry, the diagnostic capability of our new MRI is truly state-of-the-art. It can meet every clinical imaging challenge.

Because of the 270-degree open style, patient comfort is greatly enhanced over the traditional high field 'tube-style' machine. For patients who are young children, claustrophobic, heavy, sensitive to noise, or apprehensive about having an MRI, our new MRI will have a reassuring effect on these patients as well as maintain diagnostic excellence.

Direct Digital Mammography

Advanced Medical Imaging is proud to announce they are the first practice in Kitsap county and the surrounding communities to offer "direct digital mammography," the latest technological advance in breast cancer screening. Equipment is installed at the Women's Diagnostic Centers in Silverdale and South Kitsap. We are accepting appointments for this state-of-the-art technology. Currently, only 8% of clinics offer this type of breast cancer detection. There are many advantages of digital mammography over traditional film mammography including:

higher detection rate
more accurate diagnosis
reduced radiation dose
increased cancer detection with CAD-Computer Assisted Diagnosis
improved patient comfort
fewer retakes or callbacks
may prevent unnecessary biopsies

More information as well as pictures are available on our "Women's Diagnostic Center" web page. You can also go to www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/DMISTrelease to read the latest study on "Digital vs. Film Mammography". For answers to commonly asked questions regarding digital mammography and related studies, visit www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/DMISTQandA.

New South Kitsap Digital Mammography Location

Our new office offering direct digital mammography and DEXA bone density scans opened in November. It is located in the Harrison Medical Center South Kitsap campus at 450 South Kitsap Boulevard, Suite 1240 on the first floor. Our office is open Monday through Friday and the hours are 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

___________________________________________________________________________

Breast MRI

Following the results of a study performed by the University of Washington and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the American Cancer Society recently recommended that women at high risk for breast cancer receive annual MRIs as well as mammograms. The study also suggests that all women newly diagnosed with breast cancer receive an MRI.

Click here for more details.

Cardiac CT Scans
CT scans allow doctors to see very accurate and detailed images of your internal organs and structures, including your heart, from a variety of angles. This gives your physicians critical information more quickly than they could achieve with many other tests or invasive techniques. In cases where doctors are trying to assess the risk of heart disease, the information from the CT scan can help them uncover disease at its earliest stages and recommend changes in lifestyle or more aggressive treatment if needed. AMI upgraded in March, 2006 the Multi-slice CT Scanner from a 40 slice to a 64 slice.

AMI has been performing Cardiac Angiography (CTA) exams with our 64-slice CT scanner in Silverdale beginning March, 2006. Cardiologists from Kitsap Cardiology Consultants and the Doctors Clinic interpret the results in conjunction with our radiologists. In addition to KPS, Aetna and other, including Medicare, are covering Cardiac CTA for specific conditions in selected patients.

Recently joining the staff at AMI is Dr. Matthew Shutske

Dr. Matthew Shutske graduated from the University of Richmond cum laude and with honors in Biology in 1996. In 2001, he received his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He completed his internship at Saint Barnabus Medical Center in New Jersey in 2002, and finished his radiology residency at Indiana University in 2006. Dr. Shutske then moved to Seattle to participate in a University of Washington MRI fellowship program with a focus on cardiac imaging. He completed the fellowship in June 2007. Dr. Shutske is board certified by the American Board of Radiology.

64 -slice CT Scanner
Our 64-slice CT scanner's advanced technology produces split-second high quality images, permitting doctors to see more anatomical detail in a fraction of the time needed for other tests. With this new CT scanner, doctors will be able to more effectively detect and treat a range of life threatening illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, stroke and lung disease. Patients needing a CT scan will find that the new scanner offers a much more pleasant experience. With much faster scan times patients will usually be asked to carry out one brief breath hold during each scan. Older patients and those with breathing difficulties will appreciate the shorter exams. All CT scanners use x-rays, however the new CT scanner used a significantly lower amount of x-ray energy than many of the other systems on the market. It has specific built-in pediatric protocols that further minimize the dose to children. Another advantage is the ability to provide large patients with a CT scan table weight capacity of up to 440 pounds. Early in 2006, this modality was upgraded to a 64 slice technology, and AMI will be initiating Cardiac CT scans.

PACS - more info
Physician on-line access to patient’s scans and reports was implemented at AMI. We went live with this phenomenal technology February 1st and are currently meeting with physicians to determine options for imaging delivery the 1st of March. Imaging taking place at any of the AMI locations will be digital and will be available instantly via a secure portal for referring physicians offices. This allows for a much faster delivery of reporting and imaging with clear, crisp images on the computer screen. If your office would like a demonstration of what PACS can do, call 360-415-6100 to set up an appointment.

AMI supports health-related community events - more info

Care to Jazz to benefit Peninsula Community Health Services, Bowl-A-Rama to benefit Kitsap Mental Health Services and Family Fun Run to benefit Kitsap County Medical Society Foundation received donations recently in support of their health related causes. AMI is also a corporate partner to Harrison Medical Center Foundation, supporting hospital fund-raising events. AMI is pleased to sponsor these worthwhile causes in our Kitsap community.