Full Array of Imaging Options

The addition of a $1.5 million state-of-the-art Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner on the NorthBay VacaValley Hospital campus in March was the final piece in the puzzle that defines NorthBay Healthcare’s complete array of diagnostic imaging equipment.

The MRI also performs a wider range of exams, from bariatric to breast and non-contrast imaging.

The new MRI—a Toshiba Vantage Titan, Open-Bore 1.5 Tesla—features quiet technology and high-definition scanning. It is also roomier for the patient. The MRI’s ultra-short open bore offers up to 100 percent more clearance space above the patient. This allows patients to be scanned without having their heads inside the magnet for some tests. The MRI also performs a wider range of exams, from bariatric to breast and non-contrast imaging.

“No longer do people have to travel elsewhere or make appointments for mobile units coming to town when they need a scan or an X-ray,” said Adrian Riggs, assistant vice president for NorthBay Health Advantage and Solano Diagnostics Imaging. “We have it all right here in Vacaville.”

The crown jewel of the collection is the $1.8 million Toshiba Celesteion PET/CT imaging system, which is on the first floor of the VacaValley Wellness Center. It is the only stationery PET/CT scanning equipment in Solano County, in a civilian setting.

And even though David Grant Medical Center on Travis Air Force Base has a PET/CT scanner, physicians there frequently refer patients to VacaValley for ease in scheduling. “We’re actually able to serve a large number of non-NorthBay Healthcare patients,” explained Adrian, “We’re pleased to not only offer our radiation oncology, X-ray and scanning services to all patients, but we also have one of the few 3D mammography machines available for breast cancer screenings.”

When Adrian joined NorthBay Healthcare in 2006, he remembers an X-ray machine located just outside of NorthBay VacaValley Hospital. “In 2008, we added an ultrasound and bone density machine,” he said. “But technology really started changing in 2012. That’s when we placed our first 3D mammography machine in the VacaValley Health Plaza. We started stereotactic/3D breast biopsy later that year and took over the ultrasound breast biopsy program in 2013, becoming an ACR Breast Imaging Center of Excellence.”