Wednesday, January 29, 2003

Newnan Hospital obtains Lightspeed

Newnan Hospital is staying ahead of fast-changing medical technology.The hospital recently acquired a state of the art GE Lightspeed Plus computer tomography (CT) scanner. Used by doctors to help in overall patient diagnosis, CT scanners provide computer-generated photos of the body.

"With this new scanner we're able to see a tremendous amount of detail at various sites," said Bill King, director of radiology at Newnan Hospital, West Campus. "We can look for kidney stones, pulmonary embolisms, cerebral bleeds, and all types of cancers, it's a great diagnostic tool for our facility."

In addition to general diagnostic screenings, the CT scanner can be used to identify potential cardiac risk patients by discovering calcium blockage in the coronary arteries.In hospital tests, 50 percent of test participants had some level of coronary artery calcification, an early warning sign for heart disease.

The GE Lightspeed Plus offers many advantages over older model CT scanners including, less table time for patients, better 3D reconstruction and greater convenience for physicians. Unlike older models, the new scanner has an adjacent monitor that allows the physician to stay in the room to check the progress and results.

Founded in 1925, Newnan Hospital is a 243-bed JCAHO Accredited, private, non-profit facility offering the highest quality professional care with the latest in medical technology.In addition to the Newnan Hospital East and Newnan Hospital West campuses, other facilities in The Newnan Hospital Family include a Health and Fitness Center, Beaulieu Convalescent Center, Wound Treatment Center, Sleep Center, and the Summit Healthplex.