Hospitals's core x-ray room is now under construction

Two of Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County's three x-ray machines will be out of commission for up to six months during a remodeling project that began recently.

The core x-ray area will be updated, the x-ray rooms will be enlarged, and two new x-ray machines and associated equipment will be installed, said Medical Imaging Director Tracie Soller. In the meantime, the Radiology Department will use the digital x-ray in the Emergency Department, which was replaced within in the last year.

"We understand this may cause a backlog in services," Soller said. "We apologize for any inconvenience. We will work through this project as quickly and efficiently as possible.

"We began our x-ray machine upgrades with the digital room in the Emergency Department so we had one room that was functional and able to handle the increased volume while the core area equipment in Radiology is being replaced," she said.

The Radiology Department hasn't been remodeled since the mid-1980s, said Facilities Director Gerry Johnston. Construction will last roughly five to six months in four separate phases, with the longest portion being in the actual x-ray rooms and work stations. The x-ray rooms will be reconfigured to accommodate the new equipment, including extensive electric work.

"The equipment that's being replaced is end of life, end of service and is still analog, which means we are required to use computed radiography technology to convert the image to a digital format," Soller said.

When construction is complete, the hospital will have two new digital x-ray machines. The digital technology enables the technologist to visualize the image as soon as it's taken, she said. This will decrease the amount of time the patient needs to spend in the department because the image will not need to be converted from analog to digital. 

The table for the fluoroscopy/x-ray equipment is height adjustable, which will be good for patient safety. Patients will no longer be required to step up onto a step and climb up onto the table to sit or lie down. 

The general x-ray room will include a 3D camera for patient positioning. which allows the technologist to see if the patient needs to be repositioned before shooting the image. It also allows for leg-length x-rays, meaning patients no longer will need to be sent to a different facility for these exams.  

"Again, we apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience at this time," Soller said.

To find out more about this and all Sweetwater Memorial has to offer, go to sweetwatermemorial.com.