For the first time, patients in Dawson County who need MRI services can find them at Northside Hospitals new urgent care center.
The urgent care center, which opened Dec. 3 at 91 Nordson Drive behind Captain Ds restaurant, recently added Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment.
The equipment allows area physicians to refer patients to a local facility rather than one outside the county for problems.
I think its fabulous, said Dr. Larry Anderson of Anderson Family Medicine. It allows me to diagnose sooner, provide treatment sooner, and the patient gets better sooner.
Physicians in Dawson and surrounding counties can order an MRI for orthopedics, brain, spine, neuroskeletal, and liver related issues, among others.
Anderson is equally excited about Northsides internet portal that allows him to see the MRI images very quickly.
Northside has a radiologist on-site at the urgent care center, and the portal allows us to look at the results together even though were sitting in different offices, Anderson added.
MRI uses a powerful magnetic field, radio frequency pulses and a computer to produce detailed pictures of organs, soft tissue, bone and virtually all other internal body structures.
We are very excited to be able to expand our MRI services into Dawson County, said Radiology Services Manager Lisa Gilman-Lowery. This is much more convenient for patients and Northside is always looking for ways to meet patient needs.
Northside Imaging Supervisor, Joseph Dalton, agrees.
The Dawson County Urgent Care Center is very unique in being able to provide urgent care and MRI services to patients.
The first MRI patient was scheduled for services on Tuesday, January 8. MRI services are currently available two days per week. Northside expects to grow to five days per week as demand increases.