E. Bernard Boone, III, CEO of John Randolph Medical Center (middle) prepares to cut the ribbon at the 'official' opening of the CT scanner. To his left is James D. Wadsworth, MD.

John Randolph Medical Center Acquires State-of-the-Art CT Scanner

Area residents coming to John Randolph Medical Center for a Computed Tomography scan, more commonly called a CT or CAT scan, will now have at their benefit a new, state-of-the-art LightSpeed¹⁶ system that will enable physicians to view more detailed and accurate images of the body and offer services not provided in the past.

CT scans, developed in the 1970’s, combine the power of X-ray technology with computers – allowing physicians the ability to visualize thin cross-sections of the internal anatomy without resorting to invasive surgery. It is estimated that 100 million CT scans are conducted annually around the world, with nearly half of them being conducted in the United States. CT scans are used to diagnose disease, to view internal abnormalities in the body including those in the abdomen and chest and assessing the extent of trauma on the body. Many forms of cancer can also be diagnosed using CT scans including pancreatic, lung and liver cancer. 

The new, more advanced LightSpeed¹⁶ CT scanner allows physicians to capture images of the anatomy at a faster rate -  within seconds rather than minutes as with older scanners. The new system also provides exceptionally high-resolution images that will aid physicians in more accurately diagnosing patients.

James D. Wadsworth, MD, Medical Director for the Radiology Department at John Randolph believes that the faster unit “complements and extends the high range of quality diagnostic services that John Randolph offers our patients.” “LightSpeed¹⁶ will provide us with vastly improved image quality and an entry into new areas of diagnosis with a CT such as cardiology and CT colongraphy. It will also enhance our diagnostic confidence on all our studies.”

This is just the latest step in John Randolph’s commitment to provide state-of-the-art diagnostic services to patients in its service area. The medical center also offers state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization, 4D ultrasound, Positron Emission Tomography (PET scan) and angiography.

The LightSpeed¹⁶ CT System is the fourth evolution of GE Medical Systems’ award-winning LightSpeed CT platform, the CT scanning system that revolutionized the industry in 1998.