I’d Like It Done in Albion

By: Boone County Health Center

Boone County Health Center recently removed a ten-year-old, 45-ton magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) system to make room for a new, state-of-the-art Hitachi Echelon Oval™ 1.5T MRI system.

The Echelon Oval™ is the only one of its kind in Nebraska. It has the widest opening and table compared to any MRI system in the trade and offers images at the same quality as those seen at much larger hospitals in Lincoln and Omaha. The new MRI system will allow Boone County Health Center to offer many new services in Albion.

“I really hope patients realize what an incredible opportunity this new MRI system offers, because it can save them so much drive time. But specialists in other towns might not know we have this great new MRI system, so it’s up to our patients to say, ‘I’d like it done in Albion’ when an out-of-town doctor orders a test or scan. We don’t want our patients driving hours and hours for something they could get done in Albion” said Brenda Warner, Department Supervisor.

The new MRI system wide bore, or opening, helps alleviate claustrophobia and offers comfort of positioning. The table weight is 500 pounds accommodating bariatric patients. The increased magnet strength (1.5T) gives clearer images of abdominal, pelvic, and vascular exams.

“We can basically image head to toe, so remember to say, ‘I’d like it done in Albion,’” said Warner. “It’s our new catchy phrase!”