SAFFORD — This spring, Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center replaced the Imaging Department’s nine-year-old MRI machine with a state-of-the-art GE SIGNA 3 Tesla wide bore architect technology.
The upgrade allows the hospital to stay at the forefront of imaging technology while continuing to offer patients a wide variety of MRI exams.
The new 128-channel MRI obtains higher-definition images of the human body, yielding exquisite images of all organ systems and locations in the same amount of time and, in some cases, faster, according to lead MRI technologist Darren Jackson. That’s good news for a wide range of patients because of MRI’s exceptional versatility.
Some of the common reasons to conduct MRIs are to:
● Look at organs, bone marrow, and soft tissue to check for infection or cancer
● Determine the cause of pain in the low back, knee, neck, or shoulder
● Look at the brain to pinpoint the cause of neurological symptoms
● Assess breast tissue for lesions and silicone implant rupture
● Assess vascular structures throughout the body.
“We’re fortunate to have a Hospital Board and community that support staying up to date with the latest technology,” said Jonathan Sanders, director of imaging at MGRMC. “Patients won’t find a better MRI than the one we have here at MGRMC.”
The four MRI technologists are registered nationally in MRI, and each holds additional certifications in the imaging field.
“We are fortunate to have them all. With their skills, each of these techs are greatly valued and could go anywhere they want in the country to work,” Sanders said.
Darren Jackson comes from Clovis, N.M., and has been here since 1999. He has been the lead MRI tech since the hospital bought its first MRI in 2001. He holds an MRI safety officer certification.
Adam Bingham splits his work time between CT, X-ray, and MRI. He grew up in Safford and has been at MGRMC for 16 years.
Michelle Goodwin also splits her time between CT, X-ray, and MRI. She commutes from Benson for each shift and has been a dedicated employee for almost 15 years.
Jereld Brewer is another who splits his time between CT, X-ray, and MRI. He has been a tech for many years and comes to the Gila Valley from Show Low. He started in March when the MRI upgrade process was initiated, which was the reason he came to work at MGRMC
MRI scans are interpreted by one of the hospital’s board-certified fellowship-trained radiologists. The primary radiologist, Brandon Welker, D.O., grew up in Safford and spent more than 13 years in college, medical school, residency, and fellowship training. His specialty is musculoskeletal MRI. Dr. Welker said he is as happy as anyone to see the improved quality of images coming from the MRI scanner, using words such as “exquisite” and “unbelievable” to describe the quality increase.
“It makes my job of interpreting the images much easier,” Welker said.
To schedule an MRI call 928-348-4191.
