Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - X-ray is essential to patient diagnosis and treatment. It is utilized in nearly every care modality to identify tumors, abnormal masses, pneumonia and/or other injuries. At CMC, every inpatient receives a chest x-ray to establish a baseline of their health. The emergency department orders x-rays for every patient with chest pain, a chest cold or who has experienced an injury and/or trauma. It is typically the first diagnostic exam ordered because it is inexpensive, noninvasive and has the least amount of radiation compared to other radiologic tests. X-ray images help physicians know whether they should begin diagnosis and treatment or order further diagnostic testing. For this reason, it is vitally important that the images they receive offer the utmost clarity. Many advancements have been made in the field of digital radiography since CMC's last purchase of equipment in 2003, including AI-aided X-ray interpretation, dual-energy imaging, tomosynthesis, computer-aided diagnosis, automatic image stitching, and digital mobile radiography. These advancements have improved image quality, helping to enhance patient care and support better patient outcomes. Additionally, the use of digital radiography reduces the need for retakes, which provides the benefit of lower radiation exposure. The purchase of new equipment will specifically allow for shorter exposure times, improved detail detectability and earlier diagnosis, extremely high image quality, faster processing and diagnosis. Additionally, the upgraded equipment allows for image storage which helps increase provider consultation and collaboration.
