Cardiac
Testing/ECG Department:
The
department provides 24-hour service 7 days a week. The Dr.
Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital offers non-invasive
cardiac testing which provides a physician with
a record of cardiac activity as well as valuable information
about the heart's function and structure. Many specialty
types of procedures are performed depending on the severity
of a patient's heart problem. In some cases a patient will
wear a device home and carry on their normal activities, the
recordings taken by the device are read at
a later time.
The department maintains high standards in education
and quality assurance. The ECG staff are qualified Advanced
Registered Cardiology Technologists and trained to handle
emergencies. They also offer support and education to the
patients and other medical personnel.
ECG Testing Location in the region:
The Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in
Fredericton is the main centre for processing ECG results
obtained from 10 facilities/health centres within the
region. These include Oromocto, Harvey, Stanley, Doaktown,
Minto, Chipman, McAdam, Nackawic, Perth-Andover and Plaster
Rock. Oromocto and Minto also send their Ambulatory (take
home) monitors to CRH for scanning and analysis.
Upper River
Valley Hospital in Waterville and Hotel-Dieu
Saint Joseph in Perth perform all the routine cardiac
procedures with the exception of some very specialized
testing which requires complex and costly equipment.
For more information, please contact
Betty.Leblanc@rvh.nb.ca
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Diagnostic Imaging:
The Diagnostic Imaging (DI) service supports the diagnosis
and treatment of disease through the following range of
specialized departments:
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Radiology (X-ray):
Includes Screening and Diagnostic Mammography, C.T.
Scan, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine and MRI (Magnetic
Resonance Imaging). DI staff are qualified professionals
adept at performing imaging procedures and knowledgeable
in meeting patient needs for procedure explanations. |
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To maximize efficient
utilization and cost-effectiveness, some Imaging
procedures are only available at the Dr. Everett
Chalmers Regional Hospital, in Fredericton. These
Imaging procedures include C.T. Scans, Nuclear Medicine
procedures, Bone Densitometry, MRI Scans and most
Interventional Procedures. |
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Electronic Storage and Access: DI services
are currently involved in a transition from storage of
diagnostic images on x-ray film to digital storage on
computer hardware. Using
tele-radiology
and PACS (Picture Archive and Communications System),
images are stored electronically on various long-term
magnetic media (such as magnetic tape or Magneto-Optical
Drives). Not only will this solve storage problems, it
will also give radiologists and other designated
physicians computer access to diagnostic images within
minutes of an exam completion. |
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Location:
In addition to the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional
Hospital, DI services are provided at the Tobique Valley
Hospital, Hotel-Dieu of St. Joseph in Perth-Andover, the
Upper River Valley Hospital in
Waterville, the Oromocto Public Hospital, and the
health centres in Harvey and Doaktown. |
For more information, please contact
Betty.Leblanc@rvh.nb.ca
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NEP (Neuro-electro-physiology):
NEP (Neuro-electro-physiology) services provide a variety
of procedures assisting in the assessment of neurological
disorders that affect the brain, brainstem, spinal cord,
peripheral nerves, somatasensory systems
and muscles. River Valley Health has two registered NEP
technologists on staff at the Dr. Everett Chalmers
Regional Hospital in Fredericton. Thousands of
neuroelectrophysiology exams are performed each year
and are interpreted by the three neurologists and four
physiatrists that practice in the region.
EEG "Electro-encephalo-gram" The EEG monitors
the electrical activity of the brain. This test assists in
the assessment of disorders that affect the brain.
NCS "Nerve conduction studies" This procedure
provides assessment of the various peripheral nerves in the
body for conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
EMG "Electromyography" This procedure provides
assessment of the connection between the nerve and the
muscle by looking at the electrical activity they produce
aiding in the assessment of conditions such as
radiculopathy.
EPS "Evoked Potentials" Evoked potentials
provide assessment of the visual, hearing and somatasensory
pathways to the brain and brain stem.
For more information, please contact
Linda.Richardson@rvh.nb.ca
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Laboratory Medicine:
River
Valley Health has seven medical laboratories employing close
to 150 staff members.
The staff includes five pathologists, a clinical
chemist, a clinical microbiologist, four clinical
specialists and close to l00 medical laboratory
technologists, registered LPN's and administrative support
staff.
The region's pathologists examine tissue removed during
surgical procedures and give a final
diagnosis, as well as perform medico-legal and
hospital autopsies.
River Valley Health technologists perform well over 2.2
million tests per year, helping the physicians to diagnose,
treat and also monitor the patient's progress. The tests
range from routine urinalysis to breast biopsies to Flow
Cytometry - a powerful analytical tool that helps physicians
diagnose leukemia and other cancers.
Quality Control: All tests are standardized across
the region. External and internal quality control programs
are in place to ensure test results are accurate and valid.
This type of quality control is essential when dealing with
patient diagnosis.
Hours of Operation:
There are 24-hour laboratory services in the region,
as well as others which are operated on an on-call basis for
evening, overnight or weekend emergencies.
Laboratory Medicine can be reached by e-mail at
Anne.Galloway@rvh.nb.ca