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The Radiology Service at the
Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Healthcare System (www.ann-arbor.med.va.gov)
provides full imaging support for the primary and tertiary care provided
at this institution. As a member of the Veterans Integrated Service
Network Eleven, the Ann Arbor VA Hospital provides care for patients in
lower Michigan and northern Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. As part of the
100 million dollar Clinical Addition, the Radiology Service moved into a
new 20,000 square feet state-of-the-art imaging facility in October
1998. This space features a 1.5T MR scanner, two spiral CT scanners, two
angiography suites, two ultrasound rooms, and 5 other general imaging
suites. The radiology service also supports a fully configured angio/OR
within the Surgery Service for the performance of aortic endograft
cases. The radiology service has gained national attention as an early
successful adapter of PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System)
technology. The service has been fully filmless since October, 1998,
utilizing high speed SAN (Storage Area Network) technology coupled to a
6 month RAID database of active cases supported by a 17 terabyte
long-term archive. The service has successfully deployed web-based image
distribution using data streaming technology since June 2000. The
service also deploys sophisticated workflow management tools, which
integrate exam ordering and reporting with PACS and the Electronic
Medical Record.
The Radiology Service performs 35,000 exams per year, supporting
activities within the Ann Arbor facility, along with studies from two
outpatient facilities. All faculty members have joint appointments at
the University of Michigan. Three radiology residents are assigned to
the VA every week. These residents are exposed to the unique medical
problems of veteran patients, and have the opportunity to provide direct
patient care with all exams monitored and reviewed by attending staff.
The radiology service performs or supports research in musculoskeletal
imaging, lung cancer and PET scanning, head and neck tumor imaging, and
neurology. The service supports medical student education both within a
radiology rotation and for students assigned to other medical
disciplines.
For more information, please contact
Division Director, Perry
Pernicano, M.D. |
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