Sidney Health Center recently partnered with Shared Medical Services (SMS) to bring the first digital PET/CT technology service to Montana. The state-of-the art digital PET/CT scanner delivers faster scan times, reduced radiation doses and enhanced visualization of small lesions with exceptional image quality. 

PET/CT combines the functional information from a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) exam with anatomical information from a Computed Tomography (CT) exam in one single exam. When these two scans are combined, it helps physicians diagnose a problem, predict outcomes associated with various therapeutic alternatives, pinpoint the best approach to treatment and monitor treatment progress.  

“The opportunity to bring digital PET/CT scanning technology to our community is a huge win for the people we serve,” stated Linda Labatte, Imaging Services Director at Sidney Health Center. “It allows us to provide the best image quality and highest standard of care for patients who are diagnosed with cancer and other chronic conditions.” 

Through this mobile service, Shared Medical Services (SMS) is helping to bring this new technology to facilities in Montana and North Dakota including Sidney Health Center on a weekly basis. Through a strategic collaboration with United Imaging, SMS is the first in the United States to offer a mobile digital PET/CT unit. 

Every Wednesday, the digital PET/CT mobile unit is onsite at Sidney Health Center to scan patients with the use of United Imaging technology featuring the uMI 550. The uMI 550 technology combines the PET exam with an 80 Slice CT scanner resulting in lower injected doses with improved image clarity.

“United Imaging designs our technology to achieve our mission of Equal Healthcare for All,” said Jeffrey M. Bundy, Ph.D., CEO of United Imaging Healthcare Solutions. “This helps healthcare providers like Sidney Health Center accomplish their own mission. We deliver our portfolio with standard fully-equipped configurations to ensure the same high-quality imaging in academic centers and rural settings alike.”

As an employee-owned company based in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, SMS operates one of the largest certified mobile diagnostic imaging fleets in the country. To learn more, visit www.sharedmed.com or visit Sidney Health Center’s website at sidneyhealth.org.