Hospital opens new $3M interventional radiology suite, the first in its region

One hospital’s investment in interventional radiology services stands to increase access to vital procedures across central Louisiana. 

Rapids Regional Medical Center, located in Alexandria, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the organization’s new IR suite March 13. The unit’s opening comes after the hospital invested $3 million into its imaging offerings. 

The suite will provide a number of image-guided interventional procedures and treatments, including biopsies, vascular access procedures, drainage interventions, embolizations and ablations. 

“We will be able to perform CT scans while the patient is on the table,” Elie Barakat, MD, who is an interventional radiologist at the hospital, said in a statement. “This will help during treatments we are doing, especially advanced oncology treatments. We can directly inject beams of radiation inside the tumors.” 

The demand for interventional services has risen significantly in recent years. However, the number of hospitals and clinics offering them has not seen the same growth. As such, patients often have to travel to undergo IR procedures. The new suite is the first of its kind in the region, so the hope is that it will expand access and open the door for patients to undergo treatment and diagnostic exams locally.  

The addition also is expected to improve workflows within the radiology department and expedite patient care, Brandi Laroux, radiology director at Rapides Regional Medical Center, noted. 

“Both our patients and clinicians can benefit from the speed, low-dose levels, and outstanding image quality of this new system,” Laroux said. “It will allow our physicians to complete a variety of diagnostic and interventional procedures faster, and that means the patient is off the table and on their way to recovery and discharge much sooner.” 

Rapids Regional Medical Center operates 346 beds and employs over 450 physicians. The level 2 trauma center sees more than 60,000 patients in its emergency department annually, making the new IR suite a valuable addition.