Ridley Park—Taylor Hospital has added a new service to its slate of state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging offerings: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
MRI is a safe and effective tool that uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field to provide remarkably clear and detailed pictures of internal organs and tissues. It can be used on virtually any part of the body, but is most commonly used on the head, spine, shoulder, hip, knee, pelvis, foot, ankle and wrist.
“MRI is an essential community service, and Taylor Hospital is pleased to be able to offer MRI to the residents of Delaware County,” says Diane Miller, chief operating officer of Taylor Hospital and CKHS vice president. “Just like Crozer-Keystone’s other MRI sites, Taylor will offer a full-range of services in a convenient location.”
Steven Gilman, M.D., chairman of the Department of Diagnostic Imaging at Taylor, echoes the same enthusiasm. “I am proud and delighted to have state-of-the-art 1.5 Tesla MRI on-site at Taylor for the first time,” he says.
The Taylor unit is a “high field” MRI machine. To get pictures taken on a high field MRI unit, the patient must lie still on a table that slides into the machine. The exam does not use X-rays, takes 30-60 minutes to complete, and is painless. High field MRI machines provide excellent picture quality.
The MRI Center of Delaware County offers high field MRI services at Crozer-Chester Medical Center,
Delaware County Memorial Hospital, and Media Medical Imaging. An open unit is located at the MRI Center of Delaware County in Swarthmore.
No preparation is needed prior to an MRI exam; however, people with metal implants, or steel surgical staples or clips should let the MRI Center staff know before having the test done. Also, prior to the test, you will be asked to remove all jewelry, your watch, dentures and hearing aid, and empty your pockets of coins, keys or anything else made of metal.
Crozer-Keystone’s board-certified radiologists read MRI results. “MRI has been proven to be the examination of choice in the evaluation of patients with neurological and orthopedic problems,” says Stefan Skalina, M.D., medical director of the MRI Center of Delaware County. “Among the advanced technologies available on our system are diffusion-weighted imaging, for the evaluation of patients with acute stroke; and MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiography), a technique that allows us to create images of the intracranial vasculature, usually without the injection of contrast.”
Dr. Skalina adds that the Taylor unit is also equipped to image joints, the spine and abdomen. Through the VIBE sequence, the scanner can also image the liver or the kidneys in a single-breath-hold, resulting in a clearer picture. In addition, the MRA function of the unit allows for scanning of the aorta, renal arteries, and arteries of the neck. This is done using an injectable contrast dye. Intracranial MRA does not require contrast material.
Taylor will offer MRI services Monday through Friday, from 6:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (610) 595-6522.
The MRI Center of Delaware County is a nonprofit entity of the Crozer-Keystone Health System.
Taylor Hospital is a member of the Crozer-Keystone Health System.
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