Digital Mammography Helps Pioneering Site Deliver the Best in Patient Care

Newton-Wellesley Hospital transitions to a totally digital environment

The over-riding philosophy guiding the entire approach to patient care for the Women’s Imaging Center of Newton-Wellesley Hospital is the need to create a comprehensive medical environment where a woman can receive all of the services she needs in one location and in one day. “It means,” said Dr. Alan Semine,Chief of Breast Imaging, “providing the best technology possible, and the most qualified clinical staff…all the while, keeping the patient’s perspective in mind, so that whatever needs to be addressed can be addressed during the same visit.”

For Newton-Wellesley, located in the suburbs of Boston, this comprehensive approach allows patients to receive any necessary follow-up procedures quickly. “If a woman comes in for a mammogram, and we find she needs additional views, an ultrasound, or a biopsy, we’ll do it during the same visit,” said Dr. Semine. “The time frame in which a diagnosis is rendered makes a big difference to the patient.”

Making the Digital Transition

As part of this on-going commitment to providing the best care possible, the staff of the Women’s Imaging Center knew they had to make the transition from a traditional analog work environment to providing digital mammography. In fact, one of the reasons Dr. Semine came to the Imaging Center was because Newton-Wellesley Hospital understood the value of digital imaging, and was committed to moving into the digital world. “All of radiology is becoming digital,” Dr. Semine said, “and it is important that mammography departments also benefit from the potential of the digital environment.”

Newton-Wellesley has seven Selenia digital mammography systems, three dedicated radiologist diagnostic workstations with R2 CAD and eight technologist workstations.

Dr. Semine knew that if they were going to make the transition, and make it work for the patient, it was going to take time to integrate the new systems into the existing workflow. “We didn’t want to change the way we approached patient care,” said Dr. Semine. “Going digital before we had the proper processes in place was a serious concern.”

“Hologic was very receptive when we suggested early on in our digital mammography journey that we would need some type of electronic communication between radiologist and the mammographer obtaining additional views. Because of this the Hologic technologist workstation was developed," said Dr. Semine. Newton-Wellesley Hospital has opted to install technologist workstations in each exam room as well as one in the mammography work area. This allows the mammographer who is taking additional views to review the images in the exam room — similar to bringing analog images that have been circled into the exam room for review.