News

LOCAL PHYSICIANS OPEN NORTHERN MICHIGAN'S FIRST DIGITAL IMAGING AND TREATMENT CENTER
State-of-the-art facility improves care and convenience for diagnostic imaging, and breast, vein and spinal treatments.

JUNE 7, 2005. GAYLORD, MI. Local physicians have opened Image North, a new outpatient imaging and treatment center in Gaylord. Equipped with the latest in digital technology, the center offers greater convenience, faster turnaround times, and new services for area residents needing X-rays, mammograms, ultrasound, vascular imaging, image guided spine injections, and biopsies.

The new 6,200-square-foot facility also offers digital imaging-assisted comprehensive breast care, and spine pain treatment. Services to be offered in the near future include Bone Density Testing, Comprehensive Vein Diagnosis and Treatment, and Advanced MRI, and C.T. Scanning and Nuclear Imaging. Consultation Services for imaging procedures performed at other institutions are also offered.
Patients from all over Northern Michigan have easy access to the center. Its location at 2922 D & M Drive — facing North Otsego Lake Drive — is less than a quarter mile from I-75. Ample parking surrounds the building, with easy ground-floor access. An official grand opening for Image North will be held on June 16th at 1-3 p.m., and the public is welcomed to attend.

"This new imaging center will provide faster service and greater convenience for Northern Michigan residents, whether they need a simple chest X-ray or a screening mammogram." said Dr. Patrick J. McNamara, who has partnered with another of the area's leading diagnostic and interventional radiologists, Dr. Matthew L. Visconti, to provide this new center.

Drs. McNamara and Visconti have more than 40 years combined experience in medical diagnostics and interventional treatment. As native Michiganders and long-time residents of Northern Michigan, they possess a special concern for the needs of the patients in the local community.
"For us, this is all about patient-centered medicine," says Dr. Visconti. "We've designed Image North to be the most innovative and advanced imaging center serving Northern Michigan. As the region's first independent imaging center, our experienced staff provides a level of care, comfort, and attention rarely found in more traditional settings."

Dr. McNamara adds that the "image" of Image North is not only about diagnostics, "it's about maintaining the aesthetic image or appearance of our patients as it may be affected by treatment."
To accomplish this, Image North uses advanced, yet proven medical techniques, like minimally invasive breast biopsy (MIBB). Guided by digital imagery, this outpatient procedure is performed in the office and does not require general anesthesia, which ultimately results in reduced recovery time and minimal scarring. This procedure is extremely "well tolerated," requiring only a tiny, two to three millimeter incision and negligible tissue removal — "less the size of pencil eraser." The whole procedure usually takes under a half hour.

Dr. Visconti was one of the earliest adopters of this image-guided procedure while practicing at the Columbia Hospital Center for Breast Care in West Palm Beach, Florida in the mid-90's. Image North has acquired the newest generation vacuum assisted mammotome (biopsy needle) to be used under ultrasound or stereotactic mammographic guidance.

Besides mammography (which is still largely a non-digital format), all services at Image North will be digital and stored on computer-based media. This provides rapid turn around of diagnostic imaging procedures, and reporting. For instance, unlike traditional settings that could take days to provide an x-ray report to a patient's doctor, Image North has the capability to provide the report to the doctor via secured email within 24 hours, and in some cases, even before the patient has left the facility.
"Our new Computed Radiography equipment also allows us to better enhance views of diagnostic test x-rays, such as chest spinal and skeletal x-rays" says Dr. McNamara. "The new system enables us to zoom in or out and change settings as necessary to get the most accurate information from these images. If it is difficult to see a particular image, we can shade or digitally manipulate parts of the image to produce better contrast and visibility."

"Our ultrasound services are also state of the art," adds McNamara. Image North offers 3D and 4D Obstetrical Ultrasound, Color Duplex Doppler Venous and Arterial Vascular Ultrasound, and high-resolution breast, thyroid, abdominal, and pelvic ultrasound. "With our high powered computer workstations we can perform complex 3D reconstructions using sophisticated mathematical algorithms. This allows us to more accurately and quickly diagnose various medical conditions and help pinpoint the best treatment for each patient."

Another benefit of the new facility's computer technology is the application of voice recognition computerized dictation that creates diagnostic transcripts with amazing efficiency and accuracy. This improves efficiency of the center and also drives down the cost.

For more information please contact your physician. Or call Image North at (989) 705-1100 or visit www.imagenorth.org.