The Memorial Hospital at Craig
750 Hospital Loop
Craig, CO 81625
Phone: 970-826-3150
Fax: 970-826-3159
Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology in Craig
Diagnostic Imaging services offered at Memorial Regional Health incorporate state-of-the-art equipment and highly skilled technologists. To best meet our patients’ needs, we offer leading-edge technologies at competitive pricing, and our technologists strive to make every single one of our patients feel comfortable and informed during their visit.
If you have any questions regarding our imaging services in Craig, contact us today for more information, or learn more about them below.
Diagnostic Imaging/Radiology Services We Offer:
Bone Densitometry is a great screening and evaluation tool used to classify bone mass as normal, osteopenic or osteoporotic. Your physician may request that you have a DEXA scan to determine if your bones are at risk for osteoporosis or to follow your treatment.
Using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA), selected bones are imaged with a very low dose of radiation to determine bone density. The procedure is non-invasive, painless and takes approximately 15 minutes.
If you are a post-menopausal woman, a woman over the age of 65 or a man over the age of 70, a screening DEXA scan may provide your physician with important bone health information. Additionally, your provider may recommend a DEXA scan if you have a history of fractures, a family history of bone-related problems or take certain medications.
Computed Axial Tomography (also known as CT or CAT Scan) uses X-rays to produce a computerized image of a specific area of the body. These scans provide your physician with a diagnostic view of the internal organs in a minimally invasive way.
A CT Scan may require the use of an oral and/or IV contrast material. The IV contrast is a radiopaque iodinated material that is administered via an IV and helps visualize blood flow and the internal organs. Barium sulfate is a radiopaque contrast that is given orally and is used to visualize the GI tract.
If you are having a CT Scan of your Abdomen and Pelvis, you may be asked to drink this contrast two hours prior to your examination.
A radiograph or X-ray uses ionizing radiation to image a specific area of the body. We offer computerized radiography which allows us to make your images immediately available on our PACS system to your physician and the radiologist immediately after the exam is performed.
If you should need to take your X-rays to another physician, this can easily be done by placing the images on a disk.
A mammogram is one of the most reliable screening tools for detecting breast masses and cancers early in their development. If diagnosed in its early stages, the treatment and prognosis of breast cancer is much higher. We offer state of the art digital mammography services, including 3D mammograms.
3D mammography, or tomosynthesis, has been found to catch aggressive cancers earlier over standard mammography. Research shows that 3D mammography in combination with standard digital mammography raised cancer detection rates over 40 percent. It has been described as a CAT scan of the breast as it takes several X-rays at different angles to create a 3D image.
According to the American Cancer Society, all women over the age of 40 should be receiving annual screening mammograms. If you are at high risk or have a family history of breast cancer, you should speak with your doctor about your breast health.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a non-invasive procedure that uses a strong magnetic field and radio-frequency waves to produce high quality images. These images allow the radiologist to differentiate normal anatomy from pathology.
MRIs are routinely ordered to evaluate orthopedic injuries and the brain and spine. When undergoing a MRI exam you will be asked to remove all metallic objects and lie perfectly still for 30 to 40 minutes. To ease some of your anxiety, you can listen to music during the exam. Memorial Regional Health offers a state of the art 1.5T machine.
Nuclear medicine is a branch of diagnostic imaging that uses safe, painless radionuclides to image the body and treat disease. Nuclear medicine is unique because it provides doctors with information about both structure and function.
Nuclear medicine procedures are generally utilized to test the function of specific organs (lungs, heart, gallbladder, kidney, etc.) Nuclear medicine procedures can also be used to look at structure (bone scans), and can be useful in helping diagnose and track several types of bone diseases, as well as being sensitive to fractures that may not appear on regular X-rays.
When undergoing a nuclear medicine exam a small amount of radioactive material is injected into the body intravenously or orally. The time required to perform a nuclear medicine study varies greatly depending on the study. Most of these studies require an IV, which will be used to administer the radioactive material. Nuclear medicine is routinely used in evaluating the heart.
A myocardial stress test is a nuclear scan that evaluates the heart and can show the cardiologist where blood flow may be limited that would indicate ischemia or infarction.
In an ultrasound, a transducer (which emits sound waves) is used to produce images of the area being scanned. These real time images allow the radiologist to evaluate the internal organs, breast tissue, blood vessels, a fetus in utero, as well as many other structures.
Ultrasounds of the heart, called echocardiograms, are routinely done to visualize the structure and function of the heart and are an important diagnostic tool used by many physicians, especially cardiologists. Ultrasound exams vary in length, but you will be required to hold very still for the test. The technologist performing the test may ask you to hold your breath, and/or roll into various positions. A gel is applied directly to the skin to aid the transducer in conducting the sound waves and will be wiped away when the study is complete.
