Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point, on Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, recently replaced its traditional GE Proteus Analog X-ray machine with a fully automated Siemens Ysio Max Digital Radiography machine.

The new equipment enables radiology staff to achieve the best image quality in the shortest amount of time while also reducing the radiation dose of traditional radiography. Since the replaced imaging equipment had to be used in conjunction with an AGFA digitizer that converted computed radiography images to digital images, the new Ysio Max will be a time saver as well as files will no longer need to be converted to digital images in order to be evaluated.

According to Lt. Cmdr. Hanna Hooten, NHCCP Director Clinical Support Services, the new equipment also comes with very sophisticated orthopedic capabilities.

"The orthopedic capability the new equipment comes with is phenomenal. We see numerous sport-type injuries just by the nature of the training our Sailors and Marines participate in," Hooten said. "But all of our patients will definitely benefit from the incredibly accurate images of the spine and extremities we can now take."

Upgrading the system took six weeks and included removing the old equipment, renovating the room and installing the new equipment. Technicians from Siemens also sent an instructor to NHCCP in order to provide hands-on training to the Radiology Technologists.

"Our new digital radiography produces high quality diagnostic images at a quarter to a half the radiation dose of traditional radiography ... which is good news for both our patients and our technicians," Hooten said. "Also, patients will now spend less time in Radiology for routine examinations because the X-ray technicians will be able to see if the radiographs are technically satisfactory and of good enough diagnostic quality while the patient is still in the room. We no longer need our patients to sit and wait while our techs run cassettes through a digitizer to see if we have good images."

The Ysio Max also comes equipped with a wireless image detector which is very easy to transfer from a wall stand to a table top to free standing. Being lighter, the equipment reduces the amount of effort to move around and is equipped with a secured Wi-FI transmitter which sends images directly to the technologist monitor for instant verification and evaluation.

"Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point is committed to providing our patients with the best care possible and that means keeping abreast of new technologies and making major investments in equipment," Hooten said. "But the bottom line is our patients expect us to be able to provide them with world class medical care, and this is another example of how we continue to make that happen."

Named after Medal of Honor recipient, Pharmacist's Mate 2nd Class William D. Halyburton, the Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point provides high-quality patient care to more than 33,000 active-duty members and Department of Defense beneficiaries. In addition to outpatient surgical services, NHCCP offers Medical Home Port (including family care and pediatrics), dermatology, internal medicine, orthopedics, physical therapy, mental health, pharmacy services, preventive medicine, aviation medicine and
radiology to include MRIs.

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