Download Diagnostic Imaging at AGH - Almonte General Hospital

Diagnostic imaging at the Almonte General
Hospital
The Almonte General Hospital’s (AGH) busy Diagnostic Imaging department provides
radiology (X-ray) and ultrasound services to patients from Renfrew to Ottawa.
“In radiology, we provide general X-rays, stomach x-rays, barium enemas, ECGs
(electrocardiograms) and Holter monitors, where a patient wears a machine for 24 to 48 hours
that monitors their heart,” says AGH Diagnostic Imaging Director Kathy O’Connell, who has
been with the Hospital for 25 years.
Once an X-ray is taken, the image is entered in the Hospital’s Picture Archiving and
Communications System (PACS). It is then sent electronically to the PACs storage system in
Winchester. AGH X-rays are read by radiologists from the Ottawa Hospital.
“We get the X-ray results immediately,” says Kathy. “Before we had PACS, it was a couple of
days before we received them.”
Ottawa Hospital cardiologists read the results from Holter monitors.
The Hospital’s computer technology also permits it to get ECG results within a week, instead of
two weeks.
AGH is also part of a diagnostic imaging repository that provides centralized storage for X-rays
and other diagnostic images for hospitals in Northern and Eastern Ontario.
The shared imaging archive enables doctors in one hospital to access images and reports
acquired at another hospital.
“In ultrasound, we examine almost every area of the body, including the abdomen, pelvis,
reproductive system, carotid artery, breast, scrotum, leg veins, arteries, and thyroid,” explains
AGH Ultrasound Technologist Angele Crites, who has been with AGH for almost four years.
“We are also one of a limited number of hospitals in the area that provide musculo-skeletal
ultrasounds and pediatric ultrasounds.”
Taking ultrasounds of joints and muscles, such as knees, hips, rotator cuffs and Achilles
tendons, as well as ultrasounds to screen for cancer, keeps the AGH ultrasound department very
busy.
“We enjoy very good relationships with the ultrasound departments at the Arnprior and
Carleton Place hospitals,” says Angele. “If we get too busy, they cover for us, and visa-versa.”
As is the case with radiology, ultrasound images are uploaded to PACS. Ottawa Hospital
radiologists review the ultrasounds and dictate the results, which are typed automatically at AGH.
“It often takes no more than two days to get results, although it’s sometimes up to a week,” says
Angele.
AGH’s radiology hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday. On-call staff are available after
hours for emergency cases. The Hospital’s ultrasound hours expanded earlier this year to 7:30
a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. AGH is currently reviewing community needs to determine
whether additional hours of service are required.