New CT scanner installed at Gundersen St. Joseph's

As the steel skeleton of the new home of Gundersen St. Joseph's Hospital and Clinics begins to rise out of the shadow of it's 66-year old ancestor, a new piece of imaging equipment is being installed.

The new CT scanner, a 64-slice SOMATOM.go.All by Siemens, is one of the newest CT scanners on the market, having been cleared by the FDA in 2018. The platform promises high performance and trendsetting workflows – utilizing mobile operation and workflow automation to improve patient experience and efficiency within imaging departments.

The mobile operation allows imaging technologists to spend more time at the patient's side as well as providing faster previewing of scans and communication with a radiologist if required. The 64-slice scanner provides sensitive scanning for children, precise timing for vascular  exams and overall improved imaging accuracy.

"Upgrading to a CT scanner of this caliber is going to make a huge difference to our patients and staff," says Dee Olson, director of medical imaging at Gundersen St. Joseph's Hospital and Clinics. "Having a 64-slice scanner will greatly increase our accuracy over the former 16-slice scanner, but the main benefit is in our workflow. The tablet operation allows us to spend more time with the patient instead of behind a wall. This gives the patient a better experience by allowing our technologists the opportunity to interact with the patient more and put them at ease."

The new scanner will be moved into the new facility when it opens in 2020.