Diagnostic Imaging
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Comprehensive, leading-edge imaging services
Diagnostic imaging is the process of creating images of the body, its organs, and other internal structures with external radiation. Diagnostic imaging techniques include the use of x-ray tubes that emit radiation, radionuclides, ultrasonographic devices, and radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation.
Diagnostic imaging techniques are generally non-invasive, meaning the body is not penetrated with any equipment or cut open for imaging. However, certain procedures do combine diagnostic radiology techniques with minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat a condition. In addition, diagnostic imaging is often used to assist during minimally invasive surgery.
Many different diagnostic scans and procedures are also performed in nuclear medicine. Nuclear medicine utilizes small amounts of radioactive agents, such as thallium or technetium, to examine various organs and their structures. These scans are used to diagnose, manage, and treat medical disorders and diseases.
Imaging Services At A Glance
Is it time for a mammogram or has your doctor scheduled you for an imaging procedure? Hallmark Health Imaging Services provides advanced digital imaging at many convenient locations throughout North Suburban Boston. These convenient sites ensure that you and your family have ready access to these vital life-saving screenings and tests. Download the brochure below to see what services are provided at each of our locations.
Imaging Services At A Glance Brochure
Our Services
Read the latest Hallmark Health System Magazine story Breast MRI's now available at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital
A highly accurate, rapid diagnosis is the critical first step in healing. For that reason, Hallmark Health offers a full range of diagnostic imaging, including:
PET/CT
PET/CT, the most advanced imaging technique available for the detection and treatment of cancer, as well as some types of dementia.
Computed Tomography (CT)
Computed tomography (CT), including revolutionary 16-slice CT, for diagnosing cancers, brain tissue abnormalities, lung disease, heart conditions, spinal deviations, kidney irregularity, bone fractures or deformities, and more. Download brochure
To schedule an appointment at one of the following locations, please call 781-338-7111.
Melrose-Wakefield Hospital
585 Lebanon Street, Melrose, MA 02176
Mon - Fri 7:00am to 7:00pm
Sat, Sun 9:00am to 4:00pm
Services Provided: General CT Scanning, CT Angiography
Lawrence Memorial Hospital
170 Governors Avenue, Medford, MA 02155
Mon - Fri 7:00am to 7:00pm
Servics Provided: General CT Scanning
Hallmark Health Medical Center Reading
30 New Crossing Road, Reading, MA 01867
Mon,Wed 7:30am to 6:30pm
Tues 7:30am to 5:00pm
Thurs, Fri 7:30am to 2:30pm
Services Provided: General CT Scanning, CT Angiography
A Special Procedures Suite, where interventional radiologists perform state-of-the-art, minimally invasive diagnostic procedures and non-surgical treatments.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for diagnosing injuries and conditions of the brain (including stroke), spine, and soft tissues (such as joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons). Download brochure
To schedule an appointment at one of the followign locations, please call 781-279-2213.
Melrose-Wakefield Hospital
585 Lebanon Street, Melrose, MA 02176
Mon – Fri 7:00am to 5:00pm
Services Provided: General High Field 1.5T MR Scanning,
MR Angiography, MR Breat Imaging
CHEM MRI
48 Montvale Avenue, Stoneham, MA 02180
Mon - Sat 7:00am to 11:00pm
Sun 8:00am to 4:00pm
Services Provided: General High Field 1.5T MR
OPEN MR Scanning, MR Angiography
Nuclear Cardiology
Nuclear cardiology for diagnosing unexplained chest pain or angina. Download Brochure
To schedule an appointment at one of the following locations, please call 781-338-7111.
Melrose-Wakefield Hospital
585 Lebanon Street, Melrose, MA 02176
Mon - Fri 7:00am to 4:00pm
Services Provided: Nuclear Cardiology, Nuclear Medicine
Lawrence Memorial Hospital
170 Governors Avenue, Medford, MA 02155
Mon - Fri 7:00am to 4:00pm
Services Provided: Nuclear Cardiology, Nuclear Medicine
Mammography
Mammography for routine breast cancer screenings and evaluation of breast abnormalities. Download brochure
To schedule an appointment at one of the following locations, please call 781-338-7111 or request an appointment online.
Melrose-Wakefield Hospital
585 Lebanon Street, Melrose, MA 02176
Mon – Fri 8:00am to 4:00pm
Services Provided: Diagnostic Mammography
Lawrence Memorial Hospital
170 Governors Avenue, Medford, MA 02155
Mon, Wed and Fri 8:00 am to 4:00pm
Tues,Thurs 8:00am to 8:00pm
Services Provided: Diagnostic and Screening Mammography
101 Main Street
101 Main Street, Suite 116, Medford, MA 02155
Mon, Thurs 7:30am to 7:00pm
Tues,Wed 7:30am to 5:30pm
Fri 7:30am to 3:00pm
Services Provided: Screening Mammography
Health Image
830 Main Street, Melrose, MA 02176
Mon - Thurs 8:00am to 8:00pm
Fri 8:00am to 4:00pm
Services Provided: Screening Mammography
Hallmark Health Medical Center Reading
30 New Crossing Road, Reading, MA 01867
Mon,Wed 8:30am to 6:30pm
Tues, Thurs, Fri 8:30am to 4:00pm
Services Provided: Screening Mammography
Bone Densitometry
Bone densitometry for routine osteoporosis screenings, diagnosing osteoporosis, and assessing risk for developing fractures.
To schedule an appointment at one of the following locations, please call 781-338-7111 or request a bone density scan online.
101 Main Street
101 Main Street, Suite 116, Medford, MA 02155
Mon 7:30am to 7:00pm
Tues,Wed 8:30am to 5:00pm
Thurs 10:00am to 12:00pm
Services Provided: Bone Density
Health Image
830 Main Street, Melrose, MA 02176
Mon,Wed,Fri 8:00am to 4:00pm
Tues,Thurs 8:00am to 8:00pm
Services Provided: Bone Density
Hallmark Health Medical Center Reading
30 New Crossing Road, Reading, MA 01867
Mon,Wed 8:30am to 6:30pm
Tues,Thurs, Fri 8:30am to 4:00pm
Services Provided: Bone Density
Stereotactic and Ultrasoundguided Breast Biopsy
Stereotactic and ultrasoundguided breast biopsy for evaluating breast abnormalities detected by mammography.
Ultrasound Services
Ultrasound services for confirming pregnancies, diagnosing cardiac abnormalities, examining the gall bladder, and checking veins for blockages. Download brochure
To schedule an appointment at one of the following locations, please call 781-338-7111.
Melrose-Wakefield Hospital
585 Lebanon Street, Melrose, MA 02176
Sun - Sat 7:00am to 9:00pm
Services Provided: General Ultrasound, Vascular Ultrasound
OB/GYN Ultrasound
Lawrence Memorial Hospital
170 Governors Avenue, Medford, MA 02155
Mon to Fri 7:30am to 9:00pm
Services Provided: General Ultrasound, Vascular Ultrasound
101 Main Street
101 Main Street, Suite 116, Medford, MA 02155
Mon 11:30am to 7:30 pm
Tues - Fri 8:30am to 4:30pm
Services Provided: OB/GYN Ultrasound
Hallmark Health Diagnostics
18 Porter Street, Melrose, MA 02176
Mon - Fri 7:00am to 5:00pm
Services Provided: General Ultrasound, Cardiac Ultrasound, Vascular Ultrasound, OB/GYN Ultrasound
Hallmark Health Medical Center Reading
30 New Crossing Road, Reading, MA 01867
Mon,Tues,Thurs 8:00am to 3:30pm
Wed 8:00am to 6:30pm
Fri 8:30am to 1:00pm
Services Provided: General Ultrasound
X-Ray
X-ray for viewing and assessing broken bones; diagnosing pneumonia, heart failure, emphysema and lung cancer; and guiding orthopedic surgery and the treatment of sports-related injuries.
Needle Biopsy
Needle biopsy for evaluating abnormalities in the liver, lungs, thyroid gland and kidneys.
Most imaging tests and treatments are performed as outpatient procedures. For locations and more information, call 1-800-540-9191 to request a Service and Provider Directory.
Image-guided procedures encompass far more than unclogging blocked arteries caused by peripheral vascular disease. At Lawrence Memorial Hospital and Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, fluoroscopy (x-ray imaging) helps guide physicians in performing a number of minimally invasive treatments and diagnostic procedures.
Creating an 'internal cast' to fix osteoporosis fractures
Thanks to a treatment newly available at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, patients can now experience fast relief from debilitating pain. Called vertebroplasty, the procedure helps strengthen broken vertebrae (spinal bones) caused by osteoporosis or cancer. Unlike broken bones in the hip, wrist or elsewhere, fractures of the vertebrae are difficult to treat with conventional splints or casts.
"Many people with osteoporosis experience constant pain from a spinal fracture - which severely limits their activity and hurts the quality of their lives," says Julien Vaisman, MD, a pain management physician at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. "Patients see significant relief almost immediately after vertebroplasty. They are able to significantly lower or completely eliminate their doses of pain medication and often become active again."
For vertebroplasty, physicians insert a fine needle through the patient's back, using fluoroscopy to guide it to the fractured vertebra. Bone cement is then injected into the vertebra, which hardens over 20 minutes and stabilizes the fracture, acting like an internal cast.
Helping people with kidney failure
Fluoroscopy also plays a pivotal role in helping many people with kidney failure. If a dialysis patient's vital hemodialysis graft or fistula stops working properly, a nephrologist may refer them to an interventional radiologist for evaluation. The interventional radiologist will insert a small needle into the graft or fistula, inject radiographic contrast material and take digital x-rays. If a blockage or narrowing is found, the interventional radiologist will then perform balloon angioplasty to open the clogged artery.
Precisely diagnosing and targeting tumors
At both Lawrence Memorial Hospital and Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, fluoroscopy guides needle biopsies, which provide fast, minimally invasive alternatives to traditional surgical biopsy. Needle biopsy is most commonly used to evaluate abnormalities in the breast, liver, lungs, thyroid gland and kidneys. For the procedure, a very thin needle is inserted - typically using x-ray imaging for guidance - into the mass to remove cells or fluid to be evaluated for the presence of cancer. At Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, fluoroscopy also guides interventional radiologists in performing uterine fibroid embolization. The procedure eliminates painful, benign tumors in the uterus.
When you or a loved one undergoes diagnostic testing, you want accurate, high-quality results. That's exactly what patients will receive thanks to the picture archiving communication system (PACS), which is currently being installed in Hallmark Health hospitals.
This sophisticated technological breakthrough is replacing traditional film images. Digital images obtained through diagnostic equipment such as X-ray or computed tomography (CT) scans are immediately accessible to physicians from a secure Internet Web site, which allows patients quick access to the results they need to begin treatment.
Not only does PACS streamline care, the images are also of better quality and easier to read, which improves accuracy. Physicians also can manipulate the digital images to better view potential problem areas.
Women scheduling mammograms at Health Image in Melrose, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, or Melrose-Wakefield Hospital are likely to notice a big difference since their last exams. The standard mammography machines at these locations have been replaced with digital mammography equipment.
These new machines have been shown to detect breast cancer earlier than traditional mammograms and increase the chance for a cure.
"The technological leap forward that digital mammography represents allows for improved detail on the mammogram and improved visualization on dense breast tissue," said K. Eric Henrikson, MD, chief of radiology at MWH. "This can allow for earlier detection of a problem, therefore improving ultimate outcomes and the lives of our patients and their families."
Health Diagnostics offers patients the convenience of the latest in cardiac testing, ultrasound, mammography and bone densitometry close to home. Health Diagnostics provides testing services at the following location.
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