Community Hospital Long Beach Expands Imaging Capabilities to Improve Patient Outcomes

Imaging is the fastest growing specialty in medicine with the constant change and improvement of imaging technology.

New imaging methods help physicians provide high-quality care for patients. The better the technology, the quicker and more accurately physicians can diagnosis a problem or condition and create a detailed treatment plan.

"Imaging significantly impacts a patient's treatment options and therefore radiologists are an important part of the care team," says Fred Lizarraga, manager, imaging, Community Hospital Long Beach. "Tests using imaging technologies allow physicians to determine the cause of an illness through the images captured of the affected area of the body. After a diagnosis is made, imaging more likely dictates initial treatment strategy, and later can monitor a patient's response to treatment."

In this constantly evolving specialty, the imaging care team at Community Hospital

Long Beach stays at the forefront of the most advanced technology to provide high-quality patient centered care. Now available at Community Hospital Long Beach is a highly specific Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) contrast agent for the imaging, detection and characterization of liver conditions, including liver tumors, cysts, as well as other malignant and benign lesions.

This contrast agent allows enhanced images of the liver to be taken, revealing tiny liver nodules or lesions that can often be overlooked. These enhanced detailed images of the liver allow physicians to diagnose liver disease earlier, therefore improving patient outcomes. Compared to pre-contrast MRI, contrast Injection-enhanced MRI showed improved lesion detection as well as significant improvement in detection of additional metastases and malignant hepatoma (most common type of liver cancer), important for early detection and improved outcomes.

"These advancements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and technology have made liver MRI an excellent modality and an important tool for the detection and characterization of liver disease, with promising results of functional MRI methods," says Gregory Vanley, M.D., medical director, imaging, Community Hospital Long Beach. "This advancement will allow us to harness cutting-edge imaging technology – to provide the best and most accurate diagnosis for our patients."

Community Hospital Long Beach is committed to providing state-of-the-art imaging services with comfort and convenience. Our dedicated imaging department offers unique benefits like minimal wait times, no-cost parking and a warm atmosphere.

The all-new, fully digital technology and advanced equipment, means faster, more precise imaging and reports that can be quickly sent to your physician.