Hospital completes $12M expansion of its radiology department

A Pennsylvania hospital recently completed a $12 million expansion of its radiology department, which it hopes will improve access and reduce wait times. 

Allegheny Valley Hospital, in the Western Pennsylvania community of Natrona Heights, now boasts an 8,000-square-foot imaging center located on its ground floor. It offers the full range of imaging services including ultrasound, 3D mammography, CT, MRI, radiography and DEXA. 

AVH, part of the larger 14-hospital Allegheny Health Network, also has added a new mobile imaging pad supporting rotating MRI and PET/CT capabilities. The mobile MRI truck will operate three days a week, adding 40 appointment slots weekly. Meanwhile, the PET/CT truck is available every Wednesday and on the first, third and fifth Thursdays of the month. 

Allegheny Health Network said it made the sizable investment amid “growing demand” for imaging services in the region. 

“These upgrades to our imaging capabilities at AVH ensure that patients have access to the most accurate and comprehensive diagnostic services available close to home," Mark Rubino, MD, president of Allegheny Valley Hospital, said in a Sept. 4 announcement. "The new mobile imaging capabilities, in particular, allow us to provide more timely and convenient care to our patients, reducing wait times and improving overall patient experiences and outcomes.”

Adding the mobile PET/CT option will allow cancer patients to receive imaging at Allegheny Valley Hospital, eliminating the need to travel to other facilities. Rubino and colleagues cited recently updated mammography guidelines, recommending that women begin screening at 40 rather than 50, as motivation for the expansion. 

The physical space has been “significantly updated,” to enhance patient comfort and convenience. This includes renovated check-in and check-out areas, expanded waiting rooms for gowned patients, and ADA-compliant dressing rooms. 

"We've refreshed and modernized our facilities to create a more welcoming and accessible environment for our patients," Rubino added. "These improvements reflect our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care in a comfortable and patient-friendly setting."

Allegheny Health Network and parent company Highmark Health—a for-profit insurer that acquired AHN in 2013—have made substantial investments in imaging across western Pennsylvania, the two noted. This has included opening a new imaging center at the AHN Bethel Park Health + Wellness Pavilion late last year and soon opening radiology facilities at Jefferson Hospital and Allegheny General Hospital.