Joseph McDonald

Beyond the chicken wings and beef on weck, Buffalo is emerging as a national leader in health care technology, thanks in part to more than $14 million in recent investments Catholic Health has made in advanced diagnostic imaging technology.

Our community deserves the same access to the latest medical technology people in other parts of the country enjoy. Because of this, Catholic Health made a decision many years ago to commit resources to improving clinical and information technology, which in turn is having a measurable impact on quality and patient safety throughout our system.

Below are some of the recent clinical technology advancements taking shape within Catholic Health to ensure the highest quality care for you.

Imaging Suite at Mercy Hospital 

In June, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo cut the ribbon on its new, world-class MRI and CT Imaging Suite, becoming the first in the area to offer this advanced technology. The estimated $5 million capital project houses two of Siemens newest imaging systems. This equipment represents the most progressive MRI and CT technology available anywhere in the world in terms of comfort, safety and diagnostic capabilities.

Not only are we bringing the latest advancements in diagnostic imaging to our community, but we are enhancing the patient experience with easier access and convenience for our patients.

Hybrid Operating Room at Mercy Hospital 

Mercy Hospital continues to forge into the future of health care by becoming the first in the region to introduce a “hybrid” operating room which provides the most advanced cardiovascular and neurovascular care available. This new imaging system generates detailed images of blood vessels and soft tissue, similar to a CT scan, enabling physicians to obtain 3-D views of the patient’s anatomy from any angle. 

The hybrid operating room allows clinical teams to shift from a common diagnostic procedure to a variety of surgical procedures almost immediately, saving valuable time and eliminating the need to transfer the patient to an operating room.

This $4.3 million project also includes a new interventional radiology room to perform angiograms, biopsies and other minimally invasive vascular procedures.

IXR Room at Sisters Hospital

Sisters of Charity Hospital is in the midst of a $2.6 million, four-phase Imaging Department renovation project. The $2.2 million state-of-the-art system, allows physicians to scan the patient from any angle, while the real-time 3-D images provide enhanced views of the surgical site.  

Technology Infrastructure for Home Care and Continuing Care

Getting the right technology in the hands of our home care and long-term care clinicians is extremely important; however, keeping it there is just as important. That is why we have invested more than $85,000 to upgrade and improve the technology infrastructure for our home care and long-term care divisions.

Additionally, as part of our collaboration with HEALTHeLINK and the Beacon Community Grant, Catholic Health will be distributing 50 “Health Buddy” telemonitoring devices that will allow nurses to remotely monitor the health of more congestive heart failure and diabetic patients.

The new wireless “point of care” technology at our long-term care facilities allows clinicians to electronically document the activities of daily living for our residents. The wireless infrastructure also allows our residents and their guests to access the Internet.

Because Catholic Health treats between 40 and 50 percent of the patients in the region, we strive to continually enhance our surgical and diagnostic capabilities to ensure you and your family continue to receive the best nationally recognized care.

Joseph McDonald is president and chief executive officer of Catholic Health.