BHS and VA Butler Partner to Bring Revolutionary CT Imaging Technology to Butler

Changing How Physicians Diagnose Heart Disease, Stroke and Chest Pain

June 3, 2008 - (BUTLER, PA) - Butler Health System, in partnership with VA Butler Healthcare, has acquired a new, state-of-the-art CT imaging system from GE Healthcare.

The LightSpeed® VCT is the world's first Volume Computed Tomography (VCT) system. Area physicians are now able to capture images of a beating heart in five heartbeats, an organ in one second and perform whole body trauma in ten seconds, more than twice as fast as conventional multi-slice CT scanners. This speed is especially helpful in shortening breath holds for geriatric patients, patients who are on ventilators and pediatric patients.

"Our new Volume CT system allows our physicians to perform new and enhanced procedures and obtain the information they need to diagnose patients who are suffering from chest pain or stroke," said Tom Raraigh, Director Radiology Services at Butler Memorial Hospital (BMH). "Volume CT is patient-friendly. Fast scans can help reduce patient stress and anxiety, and some of the Volume CT procedures can be done in only one simple breath hold."

The LightSpeed® VCT allows BHS to provide fast, high-quality, high-resolution images at a significantly lower radiation dose to patients. BMH can immediately offer the following innovative procedures to be performed on its new LightSpeed® VCT:

• 5-Beat Cardiac™ - The physicians at BMH can capture images of the whole heart and coronary arteries in just five heartbeats - providing clearer images of cardiovascular anatomy and a shorter breath hold for sick and elderly patients.
  
  
• Emergency/Trauma CT - Once a stroke occurs, it is commonly believed that treatment must be delivered within an hour or less to ensure the best outcome for the patient. The LightSpeed® VCT offers BMH the speed and resolution required for rapid imaging of blood vessels in the brain. This enables physicians to make a quick diagnosis and determine the best course of treatment while reducing the number of exams a patient may need to undergo. Speed and high resolution are equally important for patients arriving in the Emergency Department with acute abdominal pain, head trauma, pulmonary embolisms and possible aortic dissection. The images required for these exams can now be acquired in as little as five seconds, allowing for faster diagnosis and treatment.

In a single rotation, the LightSpeed® VCT creates 64 high-resolution anatomical images as thin as a credit card. These images are combined to form a three-dimensional view of the patient's anatomy for the physicians at BMH to analyze. From these images, physicians can view such things as blockages in the coronary arteries and the motion and pumping action of a patient's heart.

"We're breaking barriers in the speed and accuracy of patient exams and are now able to offer new and enhanced diagnostic procedures, thanks to our new LightSpeed® VCT," stated Raraigh. "The technology is greatly benefiting both the physicians and patients of Butler Health System and VA Butler. We're excited to be one of the first to offer this medical technology in the area."

The new CT scanner will replace an existing one and will be located near the Emergency Department at BMH. The partnership will provide both BMH and VA Butler patients with the latest and most up-to-date diagnostic CT scans. The new scanner, purchased by VA Butler Healthcare, is maintained and operated by BMH. Patients from VA Butler use the CT scanner through special arrangements between the two hospitals.

Butler Health System is an independent, community-based system providing multiple facets of health care. Our system centers around Butler Memorial Hospital, a 234-bed acute care hospital founded in 1898.

VA Butler Healthcare serves over 18,000 veterans living in Armstrong, Butler, Beaver, Clarion, Lawrence and Mercer counties with a full range of primary, extended care and behavioral health services.