Pinckneyville Hospital Upgrades to Digital Mammography

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Digital mammography is now available to women at Pinckneyville Community Hospital in Pinckneyville.

"PCH is very excited to be able to offer local access to the newest technology for breast cancer detection," said director of radiology, Annie Dlubala.

Digital mammography is different from conventional mammography in how the image of the breast is viewed and, more importantly, manipulated. The technology gives the radiologist the ability to magnify the images, increase or decrease the contrast as well as invert the black and white values. These features allow the radiologist to evaluate microcalcifications and focus on areas of concern. In addition to imaging quality benefits, the new unit will save on the storage space compared to film images and will provide access to physicians and providers regardless of location.

Pinckneyville Community Hospital provides approximately 600 mammogram exams per year. The hospital's radiology department has eight employees including three dedicated mammography technicians.

"The hospital is pleased to be able to provide local access to this service to the residents of Pinckneyville and the surrounding area," said Tom Hudgins, Pinckneyville Community Hospital, chief executive officer. "We offer convenient scheduling for screening mammography from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to allow access to the service around the individuals' schedule."

Studies have proven that digital mammography is superior in detecting small lesions in the breast, especially in women under 50 and those with dense breast tissue. It also proves better for both pre-menopausal and perimenopausal women.

Radiological interpretation services, including digital mammograms, are provided by Clinical Radiologists, S.C. (CRSC) which is contracted with Pinckneyville Community Hospital. With more than 55 board certified physicians covering all radiology sub-specialties, CRSC is one of the largest and most progressive radiology groups in the Midwest.

For more information or to schedule a mammogram, call Pinckneyville Community Hospital Department of Radiology at (618) 357-5909.

The hospital will be hosting an informational event about digital mammography for the community on Monday, July 18. The event will be held at the hospital in the basement classroom at 6 p.m. For more details call radiology at (618) 357-5909.