If first impressions matter, new Imaging suite is a patient satisfier

With a new, first-floor Imaging suite serving L+M Hospital patients, rave reviews are rolling in.

“The first thing patients say is, ‘Wow, it’s so nice in here!” said Brian Austin, an X-ray technologist.

“To have this entirely new space is really amazing,” said Michelle Pasqualini, coordinator for Radiology.

“We’re creating much better images for our radiologists who are diagnosing patients,” said Michaela Ferri, an X-ray technologist. “It’s also better for the patients, as the new equipment takes images with less radiation dose. It’s also much easier for the patients to get here, since we’re right on the first floor.”

The Imaging suite is a bit like the latest Rubik’s Cube square falling into place as L+M shuffles parts of the hospital’s third-floor infrastructure to accommodate the ongoing expansion and upgrade of its Emergency Department (ED) on the third floor.

Two of the hospital’s five radiologic testing rooms – along with all of Nuclear Medicine – were relocated from the third floor to brand new spaces with all new equipment on the first floor. That move opened space on the third floor for the ED expansion, a full upgrade of the remaining third-floor radiology rooms (ongoing) and a new CT suite adjacent to the ED.

“It’s very impressive to see how all this complex planning for expanding our hospital’s emergency care has resulted in a major upgrade for Imaging,” said Peter Namey, clinical coordinator for Nuclear Medicine.

The L+M ED upgrade project began in 2020 with a large-scale power upgrade for the entire hospital. Completion of a patient waiting room and triage area followed in 2023. In early 2024, the first seven of the planned 57 private ED patient rooms opened, and the rest of the project is expected to be completed in 2026.