Apr06 eBroadcast - The Story of The Women's Center for Radiology

Vicki Belmont explains the numbers: "Insurance companies reimburse more for digital mammography than analog mammography and although the motivation to switch to digital mammography was because of higher quality mammograms, the reimbursement has made the transition equal to an increase in income."

"In addition, the move to digital eliminated the need for film, processing chemicals, cassettes and the added personnel to maintain the processor and supplies. There was a savings almost immediately after the transition. We have reduced our film costs by over 95%, giving us a sizable savings almost immediately after the transition. We've reduced our film costs by over 95%; that represents savings of tens of thousands of dollars, just by eliminating the need for film and processing."

The combination of more efficient workflow, lower film costs, and higher reimbursements has allowed the Women's Center for Radiology to show a return on their investment on the new systems. "We were able to increase our income after our first year of being totally digital," says Belmont.

Incredible Images. Incredible Technology

According to Dr. Curry, the impressive improvements in workflow are the direct result of the quality of the Selenia technology. "The images are incredible," she says. "They are high-resolution, and are available immediately. We know right away if we need to do additional studies or not."

"We've reduced our waiting time significantly," adds Belmont. "From the time the patient walks in the door to the time she leaves, is now less than 30 minutes. With analog two hour wait times were not unusual."

Cindy Swinehart, RT(R)(M), Lead Technologist at the Center, says the Selenia systems have changed the way she does her job. "We love the new systems," she says, "We have patients scheduled every 15 minutes, but because the technology is so easy, and the image is available right away, we usually finish in less time."

Unlike the other major digital mammography systems, Hologic uses one detector to image all patients, and their detector is large enough to accommodate almost every breast size. Now instead of switching film cassettes and paddles, the site only needs to switch paddles. "With analog, the time it took for routine screenings was double what it takes with Selenia," says Swinehart, "and the patients are all pleasantly surprised that the compression with the Hologic FAST paddle is so much more comfortable."

What It's Really All About - Better Patient Care

Dr. Curry is quick to point out that the improvements in workflow and the substantial financial savings would mean little if the technology did not improve the way the Center delivered health care to women.

"With Selenia," Dr. Curry says, "the image is so clear, and the resolution so exceptional that we know we deliver better care with digital. The workstation allows us to magnify views, and manipulate the image right there in front of us." These improvements have allowed Dr. Curry to see cancers earlier than was possible with the analog systems.