Grady Designated Show Site for Advanced Imaging

In April, 2016, Grady advanced its leading position in providing innovative healthcare, when it became the first facility in metro Atlanta and one of only six hospitals in the country, to add the state-of-the-art GE Revolution 256 slice CT scanner to its imaging capabilities. As a result, Grady is now an official GE Show Site – making it a destination for other healthcare providers who want to learn more about the scanner and how it works.

The scanner, located in the Emergency Department, provides high-quality images in record time – an important plus for the city’s premier Level 1 trauma center and world renowned Marcus Stroke Center.

Saving time in an emergency has obvious benefits to patients, says Vice President of Clinical Operations Michelle Wallace, who talked about the amazing speed she witnessed during a recent CT scan of a stroke patient.

“It seemed like I blinked and it was done. It’s so fast. The Revolution is all about decreasing the time the patient is waiting, especially for those emergent conditions when we need to be able to find out what’s going on.”

Because of sharp image results produced by the scans, it also offers superior diagnostic capabilities, which then inform surgical planning and treatment, Wallace added.

Grady is the ideal environment to put a CT like the Revolution to work, as the hospital regularly treats a high volume of patients in need of fast, high-quality imaging. “It’s really because Grady sees everything and treats everything, we are the perfect place to utilize this technology,” said Wallace.

Because of this, Wallace expects the hospital to improve patient care in never-before-seen ways. “We’re already meeting goals, now we’re going to exceed them.”

So far, two hospitals have visited Grady to observe The Revolution in action, and staff is happy to oblige.

“We get to answer questions, show them what we do and the great work the scanner is capable of doing. We are absolutely excited to show-off,” Wallace said.

Staff traveled to Miami to learn how the equipment worked, and have adapted easily to the new technology.

“We provide high level quality care at Grady. We are known for that, we knock it out the park. It’s very nice to have the equipment to match the quality of care that our physicians, nurses and technologists provide every day. We have given them the support they need to take it to the next level,” Wallace said.

Grady has always had its eye on new innovations, and it does not plan to stop with The Revolution. Over a decade ago, Grady’s Cancer Center became home to the world’s first PET/CT scanner.  2017 will bring a brand new PET/CT with exceptional diagnostic capabilities, bolstering Grady’s position as a hospital of choice for cutting-edge healthcare.