Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - NON-CONSTRUCTION - SOUTHERN NH HEALTH (SNHH) WILL USE CDS FUNDS TO PURCHASE A MOBILE CT MACHINE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING PET SCANNING IN ADDITION TO GENERAL CT IMAGING WHICH IS THE MOST ADVANCED CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY USED TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY CARE TO ONCOLOGY PATIENTS. THIS EQUIPMENT IMPROVES SAFETY AND REDUCES RISK FOR THE PATIENTS AND STAFF, WHILE IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND ACCURACY TAILORED TO EACH PATIENT’S INDIVIDUAL ANATOMY LEADING TO BETTER PATIENT OUTCOMES. SOUTHERN NH HEALTH WILL BE THE ONLY FACILITY IN NEW ENGLAND WITH THIS PARTICULAR UNIT AND ONLY ONE OF TWO HOSPITALS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TO OFFER ON-SITE PET SCANNING. THE ADDITION OF THE MOBILE CT/PET UNIT WILL ALLOW SOUTHERN NH HEALTH TO KEEP OUR PATIENTS CLOSE TO HOME. WE ARE A REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM AND KEEPING PATIENTS IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY FOR THEIR CARE IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THEIR RECOVERY. TAHANI ALTURKISTANI, MD, CHAIR, RADIOLOGY SHARES “PET IS A GROWING MODALITY AS THE FDA CLEARS NEW METHODS OF OBTAINING LIVE FUNCTIONALITY OF PATHOLOGIES, ESPECIALLY IN CASES OF ONCOLOGY. THE ADVANTAGES OF PET/CT IMAGING COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL MEANS PROVIDES FAR BETTER IMAGE QUALITY, DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION, AND BETTER PROGNOSIS FOR PATIENTS. AS WE AIM TO CREATE POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR ONCOLOGY PATIENTS, HAVING THE PROPER ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IS VITAL IN EARLY DETECTION AND MONITORING THROUGH IMAGING.” AS ONCOLOGY DEMOGRAPHICS CONTINUE TO GROW, CURRENT UTILIZATION OF OUR CT SERVICES HAS BEEN REACHING CAPACITY AT TIMES. THERE IS A LACK OF PATIENT ACCESS AND GROWING CONCERNS THAT CT AND PET SCANNING IS NOT AVAILABLE 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR URGENT CASES NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED. THIS IS HOLDING UP PATIENT CARE DURING ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT TIMES IN SOMEONE’S LIFE. THERE IS NO CURRENT WAY TO EFFICIENTLY SERVE THE ONCOLOGY POPULATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND THE MA-BORDERING COMMUNITIES OF SOUTHERN NH HEALTH THAT OFFERS 7 DAY PER WEEK ACCESS TO THESE SERVICES. IN ADDITION, OUR CT SERVICES FOR EMERGENCY, OUTPATIENT AND INPATIENT IMAG ING NEEDS ARE ALSO RUNNING AT CAPACITY. SNHH WILL BE THE SECOND SITE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TO HOUSE SUCH TECHNOLOGY WHILE BEING THE ONLY ON-SITE PROVIDER OF THESE SERVICES IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE STATE. BEING ABLE TO CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND ANY ONCOLOGY CASES THROUGHOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE WILL HEAL MANY BODIES AND SAVE MANY LIVES. “PET SCANNING INCREASES TIMELINESS TO CARE FOR OUR PATIENTS AND HELPS REDUCE THE TIME OF THE UNKNOWN WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO PUT A TREATMENT PLAN TOGETHER FOR OUR PATIENTS” MARSHA CLEMENTS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ONCOLOGY SERVICE LINE, SOLUTIONHEALTH CANCER INSTITUTE. OUR PATIENTS WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE BETTER ACCESS IN AN EXPEDITED TIME FRAME IN ONE OF THE MOST CRUCIAL SCENARIOS A PATIENT MAY EXPERIENCE IN THEIR LIFETIME. THIS EQUIPMENT SAVES LIVES.

CONGRESSIONALLY-MANDATED HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GRANTS