Generous community financial support to the Foundation continues to enhance patient care, as well as community health and education. Each contribution represents a significant investment in the health and well being of our community. As our community grows, your generosity will provide the means for additional expertise with prompt, convenient, and improved health care.
The Foundation works to provide the latest in high-technology equipment for our health care community. In the last four years, we have purchased two C-Arms, which take images of surgical sites without having to move the patient. We also purchased a digital mammography system in 2007 which produces ultra-clear images during breast cancer screenings. These images provide for earlier detection of breast cancer, increased treatment options, and positive outcomes for our patients.
Digital Mammography
With advancements in technology, we find ourselves comparing old and
new technologies in everything that we do. Just as consumers
strive for the best picture when they decide between traditional or
digital cameras, physicians as well have the choice between digital or
analog mammography equipment. Sierra Vista Regional Health
Center has collaborated closely with the SVRHC Foundation to raise
$654,400 for a digital mammography system which provides Radiologists with
clear digital images in the fight against breast cancer.
SVRHC’s Digital Mammography system is a state-of-the-art machine called a Selenia, made by Hologic. This digital mammography system includes a CAD (Computer-assisted detection) capability. A CAD system uses a digitized mammography image that can be obtained from either a conventional film mammogram or a digitally acquired mammogram. The computer software then searches for abnormal areas of density, mass, or calcification that may indicate the presence of cancer. The CAD system highlights these areas on the images, alerting the radiologist of the need for further analysis. With previous mammography equipment, patients would have to wait after their exam to see if the results were clear enough to read. Sometimes, a patient will move slightly or breathe, creating a fuzzy image. After taking the images, they would have to be developed, then inspected for clearness which could take up to ten additional minutes. With Digital Mammography, we can have the image up on the screen in ten seconds, and know instantly if the images need to be retaken or not.
Through the collaborative efforts of the Foundation, patients in Sierra Vista and the surrounding community no longer need to travel to a larger city to benefit from this advanced technology. For a mammography appointment, please call the Carter Imaging Center at 417-3621.
Cardiac Monitors
In a hospital, each patient has a unique circumstance. Critical
Care environments rely heavily on technology, so trusting in equipment
and the level of care given by staff, go hand in hand. Recently,
SVRHC with the assistance of the Hospital Foundation, has installed new
state-of-the-art cardiac monitors on their Progressive Care Unit.
Choosing a monitor for its functionality and versatility is a priority. The new GE Patient Monitoring System is a five-lead, 72 hour data recall monitoring system which can simultaneously monitor rhythm, rate, blood pressure, and pulse oximeter. Utilizing a system that can monitor more information at once is key to recognizing changes in a patient’s condition quicker. Aside from monitoring cardiac patients, continuous monitoring is useful for observation of postoperative patients, patients with severe electrolyte imbalances, and other medically unstable patients. Continuous cardiac monitoring allows for prompt identification and initiation of treatment for cardiac arrhythmia and other conditions.
The new GE Cardiac Monitors are a result of the collaborative effort
between SVRHC and SVRHC’s Foundation. The fundraising events the
SVRHC Foundation organized resuleted in an initial donation of $82,818 bringing the purchase price of the
monitors down to a more attainable level for SVRHC, which is a
non-profit facility. The fundraising for these monitors which are
now being placed in the Emergency Department, will continue with the
Festival of Trees which will be held at the Mall at Sierra Vista this
coming Fall. These
monitors are state-of-the-art equipment which is quite costly, so the
Foundation continues its fundraising efforts to purchase more monitors
which will fulfill the hospital’s needs.
C-Arm
Two years ago the Foundation was able to purchase two C-Arms for SVRHC with a generous donation of $252,000. C-Arms, as the name suggests, is a precise and accurate mobile fluoroscopic imaging system, consisting of a C-shaped metal mount equipped with an X-ray source at one end and an image acquisition system at the other end. This machine provides minimal invasiveness during both surgical and non-surgical procedures. There is less discomfort for the patient as they are placed between the X-ray source and the image acquisition system. The X-Ray source is switched on and the images obtained are used to either guide a surgical instrument or diagnose a pathological condition.
Contact Us:
Sierra Vista Regional Health Center Foundation
300 El Camino Real
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
Telephone: (520) 417-3021
Fax: (520) 417-3029
Email: Foundation@svrhc.org
