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Emerson Hospital names new director of imaging services
(CONCORD, Mass., September 4, 2008)--Patricia L. Smith, who is registered in radiography, mammography, quality management, and ultrasound, recently joined Emerson Hospital as director of imaging services. In her role, Smith oversees Emerson’s expanding state-of-the-art diagnostic technologies. She directs all of the imaging services at Emerson Hospital’s main campus as well as at multiple off-site locations, including Westford, Sudbury, the Breast Health Center in Concord, and the PET/CT service at the Center for Specialty Care, located a mile from the hospital at Baker Avenue in Concord.
“I am excited to join a hospital that provides excellent patient care in a community setting,” said Smith. “I look forward to working with the physicians of North Bridge Imaging Group and the entire imaging services team to deliver state-of-the-art medical imaging services for our community and for our medical staff.”
“Patty and her team work closely with Dr. David Rose, chairman of the radiology department, and the team of diagnostic and interventional radiologists here at Emerson,” said Joe Piechocki, vice president for clinical and administrative services at Emerson Hospital. “Together, they continue to meet the needs of our patients by expanding our service with new technologies.”
With MRI Centers in Westford and Concord, a full range of diagnostic ultrasound procedures available in multiple locations, 64-slice CT, MRI, PET/CT, interventional radiology, digital mammography (Emerson’s Breast Health Center was recently designated by the American College of Radiology as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence), bone density screenings, and nuclear medicine, Emerson’s radiology service provides increasingly complex and thorough care to patients.
Emerson’s new Yeatts Radiology Center, which was named in honor of the significant leadership gift from Bedford residents Fredrick and Ines Yeatts, features comprehensive diagnostic capabilities. The new interventional radiology suite, which is part of the Center, features innovative technology to support a fast-growing field that provides image-guided treatment for uterine fibroids, compression fractures, and a host of vascular conditions.
For complex procedures, Emerson’s new suite can be converted to a sterile operating room, which is appropriately sized to allow for anesthesia and other equipment, such as portable ultrasound. The suite’s centerpiece is the newest model fluoroscopy unit, which sweeps around the patient to provide sophisticated, real-time X-rays that guide the procedure while limiting the radiation exposure to patient and staff.
The new suite is also designed with six pre-procedure/recovery bays with individual TVs and room for family members, as well as a separate consultation room where patients and family members can meet with the clinical team. The new nursing station includes a private area for patient scheduling and confidential conversations, as well as access to Emerson’s picture archiving and communication system (a computerized system that enables digital images such as X-rays and scans to be centrally stored while allowing instant and simultaneous access on special high-resolution computer monitors from multiple locations, including remote users).
Looking to Emerson’s future, PET/CT will play a powerful role in the management of cancer. PET (positron emission tomography) combined with CT (computed tomography) produces a powerful picture of both anatomy and metabolic activity. PET/CT scanning represents an expansion in the spectrum of care available through the hospital’s Bethke Cancer Center. PET/CT, which was first approved for use in staging and restaging cancer and is now also used to diagnose neurological disorders and certain cardiac conditions, is provided one day a week at the Center for Specialty Care.
Smith, who is a volunteer for both the National Kidney Foundation and the American Association of Diabetes, earned her bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. She is currently enrolled in an online program with the University of Phoenix to receive her master’s degree in business administration. She has more than 14 years of radiology leadership experience. Before joining Emerson, she was director of radiology/radiation therapy for Signature Healthcare/Brockton Hospital, where her responsibilities included radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, CT, interventional radiography, diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, mammography, MRI, and positron emission tomography (PET).