Radiology
Gove County Medical Center Radiology Department is dedicated to combining individual expertise into a solid team foundation to provide high-quality diagnostic services to our community.
Before your examination, a radiographer will explain the procedure to you and answer any questions you may have. A radiographer, also known as a radiological technologist, is a skilled medical professional who has received specialized education in the areas of radiation protection, patient care, radiation exposure, positioning, and procedures.
Radiology Services
Gove County Medical Center Radiology Department offers a variety of in-house and mobile services ranging from plain x-rays to more complex imaging, such as CT. Exams are dependent on scheduling, mobile service availability and insurance preauthorization requirements. Radiology procedures require a provider order, with the exception of screening Mammography.
Plain film imaging is available Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm on a walk-in basis. Exam times are dependent on the type of exam ordered, the number of exams ordered, patient mobility and waiting times.
We offer in-house bone density testing, also known as Dexa. This test shows how strong your bones are. Bone densities are usually done on postmenopausal women, but can be available for men or younger women who have been on or are currently taking long term steroids. Certain kinds of chemotherapy can also affect the strength of your bones. The exam takes approximately 30 minutes. Dexas are usually performed every 2 years depending on your insurance requirements.
Ultrasound is another in-house service offered at Gove County Medical Center and is usually available Monday through Thursday. We offer general ultrasound, vascular ultrasound, and cardiac ultrasound (echocardiograms). General and vascular exams are read by radiologists in Salina and Echocardiograms are read by cardiologists in Hays. General ultrasound includes abdominal, pelvic, and obstetric/fetal ultrasounds, as well as imaging of superficial structures such as thyroid, breast, and various superficial areas, as ordered by your provider.
Cat scan also referred to as CT or computed tomography, is available as an in-house scheduling service. Gove County Medical Center has a Siemens 64-slice CT unit. The 3D capability and speed of our machine allows us to perform exams that once had to be done at a larger facility. CT uses radiation to acquire multiplane imaging of the body. We image the body in 3 different planes: Axial-top to bottom, coronal-front to back and sagittal-side to side. This gives us a very thorough look at the anatomy. Some of the exams require blood work, oral contrast and/or IV contrast. Exam times are variable depending on the anatomy you are having imaged and what disease or abnormality the provider is looking for.
There are a variety of mobile services offered at Gove County Medical Center.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, commonly referred to as MRI, uses a powerful magnet to obtain multiplane imaging of the body. This test takes longer than CT, but shows better detail of some soft tissues, such as tendons and ligaments. It is provided by Shared Medical Services. The truck is at Quinter on Tuesday mornings beginning at 7am. All MRIs require the patients to remove all metal from the body, hair and clothing before entering the MRI suite. All patients will undergo screening questions before the MRI can be performed. Exams take an average of 30-45 minutes per exam ordered.
Another mobile modality available at Gove County Medical Center is Nuclear Medicine. Nuclear medicine uses a small amount of radioactive isotope that is injected into your body to get its imaging. The isotope is excreted out of the body within 24-48 hours. This technique shows the physiological function of the tissue or organ being evaluated. It is different than ultrasound, CT or MRI which show the anatomical structure of the anatomy. Exam times are completely variable depending on the exam that is ordered. The service is provided by Front Range Medical Services once per month.
Mammography is the final mobile service we will be discussing. Mammography uses a low dose x-ray system to screen for any tumors of the breast. The screenings are usually done yearly beginning at the average age of 40-45. If there is a strong family history of breast cancer, such as a mother or a sister, it is recommended that you begin getting mammograms done 10 years younger than the age of the affected family member was diagnosed with the breast cancer. Our mammogram service is provided by United Radiology Group out of Salina. The truck does 3D mammograms, which increases the chance of detecting any abnormalities of the breast tissue especially in women with dense breast tissue. The mammogram truck comes once a month. Exams take an average of 10 minutes.
Call Gove County Medical Center Radiology Department for more information regarding services provided or to set up an appointment. Thank you.
Radiology Schedule
X-ray-Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
CT-Monday-Friday 9am-4pm
Ultrasound-Monday-Thursday 8am-3pm
Dexa-Monday-Friday 9am-2pm
MRI-Tuesday mornings starting at 7am
Nuclear Medicine-Once a month by appointment
Mammogram-1st Tuesday of every month 9am-2pm