Business & Merchant

Last Updated on Friday, 01 December 2023 14:42

As National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Draws to a Close, Network Hosts Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony to Unveil Leading-Edge Imaging Technology and 3D Mammography Machine

Representatives of Highmark Health and Allegheny Health Network (AHN) joined community leaders for a ribbon-cutting on Monday, October 30 to celebrate the grand re-opening and expansion of the network’s Imaging Center at the Bethel Park Health + Wellness Pavilion. The state-of-the-art facility will open to patients later this afternoon.

Located at 1010 Higbee Drive in Bethel Park, the 10,000-square-foot imaging facility will serve as a convenient access point for patients in southern Allegheny County and northern Washington County who need advanced imaging services, including MRI, CT, mammography, ultrasounds, DEXA bone density scans, echocardiograms, and radiography services. The imaging center at Bethel Park has been under reconstruction since March 2023. Before its closure, it was one of AHN’s highest-volume imaging centers, and upon reopening it is expected to serve over 25,000 patients a year.

“Radiologists save lives, which is why best-in-class health care also requires best-in-class imaging technologies and services – and that’s what we now have at Bethel Park, thanks to AHN and Highmark Health,” said Bethany Casagranda, DO, Chair of the AHN Imaging Institute.

“From urgent care needs and diagnostic cardiology to cancer care, orthopedic and women’s health issues, providing an accurate, timely diagnosis often depends on quality diagnostic imaging. Today is an exciting milestone for the AHN Imaging Institute, and our caregivers look forward to serving patients from this beautiful new facility,” Dr. Casagranda said.

The AHN Imaging Center at Bethel will be open Monday through Friday and open the first and third Saturdays of the month. Walk-in services are available exclusively for x-rays; to make an appointment, patients can self-schedule by visiting ahn.org or calling 412-DOCTORS. Established AHN patients may also schedule via MyChart.

“We’re extremely proud to offer extended hours and evening appointments for patients with acute situations, or who simply have busy schedules,” Dr. Casagranda continued. “This new facility is a testament to our organization’s mission to transform care by offering the highest level of innovation, care and flexibility in our communities, providing world-class care, closer to home.”

Bethel Park’s Imaging Center will also offer minor procedures typically performed in a hospital setting, including ultrasound-guided breast biopsies and stereotactic breast biopsies, the latter of which uses computer technology to guide a needle to an abnormality detected on a mammography exam.

“This exceptional imaging center now boasts the latest breast imaging technology, ensuring accurate screenings and early detection,” said Sarah Thomas, DO, radiologist and medical director of the AHN Imaging Center at Bethel Park Health + Wellness Pavilion.

Bethel Park Health + Wellness Pavilion is now one of the first health care centers in the area to offer 3D mammography, which has been found to detect more breast cancers than 2D mammograms, especially for women with more dense breasts, Dr. Thomas said. Additionally, AHN is the only health system in Pennsylvania to have its adult imaging centers recognized by the American College of Radiology as “Diagnostic Imaging Centers of Excellence” – the highest honor in the field.

“Our award-winning Bethel Park Health + Wellness Pavilion caregivers provide a full spectrum of exceptional, comprehensive care for our patients,” said Chong Park, MD, president of AHN Jefferson Hospital and its nearby outpatient facilities, including Bethel Park. “And that’s what our Living Health model and promise is all about – investing in new resources and innovative solutions that create remarkable care experiences and better outcomes for those we serve.”

The new imaging center also features an expanded waiting room and enhanced privacy in patient registration and changing areas.

One of six AHN Health + Wellness Pavilions across western Pennsylvania, Bethel Park offers a wide array of outpatient health services, including primary care and multiple medical and surgical specialties. The pavilion hosts comprehensive centers for cancer treatment and women’s health. It also includes an ambulatory surgery center, cardiovascular care, rehabilitation services and orthopedic care.