Heritage of Healing Continues with Outpatient Diagnostic Center

Patricia knew she would be spending the day at the new Outpatient Diagnostic Center at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance. Her husband Myrrl was admitted for a heart catheterization and needed his “pre-cath” testing. What she didn’t know is that she wouldn’t mind waiting. Patricia experienced a reception area bathed in natural light and warm colors; a helpful, sensitive staff; and a cup of coffee served from Julius’ (a 96-year-young volunteer) traveling coffee cart. In the end, it also helped that Myrrl didn’t have a blocked artery. It was a good day.

 
Developed by a team that didn’t want to do business as usual, the Outpatient Diagnostic Center completes the vision of combining remarkable technology with a quiet, healing environment. “The challenge was how to incorporate the medical technology and still keep the human side,” explained Peggy Crabtree, Director of Ambulatory and Imaging Services.

With convenient parking available directly outside the center, patients enter the reception area to admitting and then are shown into a private dressing room to gown and robe in preparation for testing. “The patient’s movement through the area is purposeful and guided. Pre-operative testing is completed with one registration, all on the same floor. The unified waiting area serves the laboratory, nuclear medicine, cardiology and radiology departments,” noted Nick Scott, Manager of Cardiology.

Exciting changes in radiology also have been implemented with the new Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). Director of Radiology Robert Kolanz, M.D., explained, “PACS changes the way we do business on a day-to-day basis. Images are recorded digitally and can be reviewed by other departments and by physicians at home or at the office. Multiple professionals can be viewing the image at the same time.”

Nuclear medicine now has found a new home for both Dr. Lalitha Ramanna, the area’s only dedicated nuclear medicine physician, and the CT/SPECT Camera. This revolutionary new system — one of three in Southern California — delivers unprecedented image quality and enhances diagnostic capabilities.

With the opening of the Outpatient Diagnostic Center, which includes the Vasek Polak Cardiovascular Institute, LCM has a state-of-the-art facility to match its top-notch medical staff. Mark Costa, LCM Service Area Chief Operating Officer, welcomes the advances, but acknowledges, “The new physical plant is wonderful, but the healing environment is really provided by our staffand physicians.”

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