Diagnostic Imaging

Holy Family's Diagnostic Imaging Services offers the area's most comprehensive range of state-of-the-art imaging modalities to evaluate and provide information on a variety of illnesses and conditions.

Scheduled, emergency, interventional and routine diagnostic imaging services are provided for both inpatients and outpatients, including Mammography, Gastrointestinal, Gynecological, General X-Ray, Bone Densitometry and more.

New MRI Suite Open, Accepting Patients

Holy Family Hospital’s newly modeled MRI Suite is now open and accepting patients. The suite features the brand new GE 1.5 Tesla MRI Unit, considered to be the most versatile MRI option according to The Advisory Board.

MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, is a non-invasive diagnostic procedure that uses magnetic fields and radio frequencies to scan many types of tissue. The result is a cross-sectional image of a patient’s body that can be used to diagnose soft tissue abnormalities as well as look at blood flow and organ function.

This highly sophisticated level of detail surpasses the imaging of other technologies such as an ultrasound, traditional X-ray and computed tomography (CT).  And with this information, physicians can determine if an injury or disease is present and plan an appropriate course of treatment.

The new MRI Suite is located in the hospital and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The front desk will gladly direct you to the new suite. Your physician should refer you to Holy Family’s MRI suite by calling 978-722-3800. 

Our services and technologies include:

• New "GE Lightspeed" 64-Slice Computerized Tomography (CT) Scanning: a computer-assisted X-ray technique that visualizes parts of the body, giving three-dimensional information that is especially useful in the identification and evaluation of space-occupying lesions.
• Diagnostic Cardiology: provides a variety of procedures such as EKGs, echocardiograms, stress tests, Holter monitoring, event monitoring, pacer checks, and tilt table evaluations to evaluate cardiac conditions.
• Diagnostic Radiology (X-Ray): X-Ray examinations are often done in an overall evaluation of the sick and injured. Many times, they are a "standard" study performed for a variety of reasons such as X-rays of bones to detect bone fractures, or a chest X-ray for pneumonia.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): creates images of the body by producing a radio signal within the body that can be detected and processed on a computer. It provides excellent imaging of the soft tissues of the nervous system and herniated intervertebral discs. MRI is a reasonable alternative to arthrography of the knee and shoulder, providing images without surgical invasion and in a relatively short period of time. MRI imaging complements X-ray images because MRI can distinguish soft tissue in both normal and diseased states.
• Mammography: a routine radiographic procedure that utilizes special equipment and X-ray film to diagnose breast lesions with a low dose of radiation to the patient. Dedicated mammography services, including computer-aided detection (CAD) to identify potential areas of concern, are provided in the hospital's Robert F. Stoico/FIRSTFED Center for Breast Care.
• Nuclear medicine: utilizes radiopharmaceuticals to generate images of many structures within the body including the heart, lungs, liver, thyroid gland, bones and kidneys. Abnormal tissues are demonstrated when the radiopharmaceutical administered to the patient creates an image that appears different than normal tissue upon imaging.
• PET-CT Imaging: combines today’s most advanced Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with the fastest and most sophisticated CT technology. PET creates images of metabolic activity in the body. CT scans create images of anatomical structures within the human body. Together, a PET-CT scan allows physicians to view metabolic activity and pinpoint where cancers are located so that they may target the disease. PET-CT is especially valuable in detecting or assessing certain cancers, heart conditions, and neurological problems.
• Ultrasound: sometimes also referred to as "echo," ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to produce echoes within the body. The strength and timing of the echoes returning to the send point, or transducer, are analyzed by a computer to produce a graphic image of the area of interest such as a gallbladder, veins, arteries, breast, thyroid gland, liver, kidneys, ovaries, and the heart.