Spotlighting the Imaging Center at Methodist McKinney Hospital

To help a physician diagnose or treat an injury or ailment, patients are often sent to an imaging center, where specially trained staff can perform various types of diagnostic test, including MRI, CAT scan, X-ray, ultrasound or mammography examinations. Once the appropriate tests are complete, the imaging center radiologist interprets the exams and then sends the results to the patient’s physician.

Michael Valentine, who has been the Imaging Manager at Methodist McKinney Hospital (MMH) for the last two-and-a-half years, sheds some light on what patients should look for when they visit an imaging center.

For one, while there are lots of different brands and models of equipment–and new technology hitting the market every year–the staff’s knowledge about the equipment is crucial. To Valentine, if he were a patient visiting an imaging center, more important than the technology offered would be the staff’s ability to answer any questions about the equipment being used in a way that he could understand.

Patients should also look for facilities in which the technicians are ARRT-certified through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Valentine warns that many private physicians’ offices still use NCT’s (non-certified technicians) to perform X-rays and other tests. Most NCT’s have not had the extensive training to ensure proper radiation safety use and protection. In Valentine’s opinion, it is patient safety that makes a facility stand out.

Valentine believes it is the staff at the MMH imaging center that sets it apart from other facilities. The staff genuinely wants to be at the imaging center, which comes through in their incomparable service to patients and taking the time to ensure every patient they see leaves feeling they have received the very best care available.

To learn more about the imaging center at MMH or to schedule a test, please call 972-569-2700.

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