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New mammography machine for DPH
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Posted on Mar 28 2001
The Commonwealth Health Center Volunteers Association has teamed up with the Department of Public Health to advance the delivery of healthcare in the Northern Marianas.
In the interest of meeting its mission to provide continued quality care to the community, DPH has upgraded its Mammography Diagnostic Unit by replacing the existing machine with a newer model manufactured by General Electric (GE) Medical Systems.
The existing mammography machine was purchased by the CHC Volunteers ten years ago and has served the women of the CNMI well. The benefits in detecting breast cancer at an early curable stage has saved many women, but current federal regulations dictate that the machine will not be in compliance starting October 2001.
The new model is a GE Senographe DMR+. This is one of the very first machines currently available in the Western Pacific area. The GE Senographe DMR+ sets a new Gold Standard in mammography, delivering unequaled diagnostic confidence and streamlined ergonomics.
The DMR+ MaxiRay has a dual track anode Molybdenum/Rhodium, which improves the contrast in high-density areas of the breast. It contains a unique inner focusing cone that reduces extra focal radiation providing image contrast.
The GE Sensographe DMR+ unit has the capability to be upgraded to digital once the technology becomes available. The DMR+ also has a new target material that provides for superior penetration of the dense breast tissue that many of the patients have.
In addition, with the stereo-tactic system option, the Mammography Diagnostic Unit will now be able to perform breast biopsies in Radiology.
This equipment replacement project was made possible through collaboration between DPH and the CHC Hospital Volunteers Association. The volunteers, through their fund raising activities, have made the purchase possible by donating fifty percent of the total cost of $85,998.02 towards the purchase of the new mammography equipment.
