Salem Township Hospital has a new mammography machine. CEO Jim Timpe made the announcement at Wednesday’s hospital board meeting.
“We have a new mammography machine,” Timpe said. “It’s a 3D tomosynthesis unit, state of the art. The nice thing about this unit is it requires less compression to take the same images that we always take, so it’s more comfortable for our patients.”
Board members asked if mammography’s were only for women.
“Men also can get breast cancer. If men find a lump in their breast, they should notify their primary care provider immediately, and they can certainly order a mammogram on a man. Men do not get screening mammograms like women get, they get what’s called a diagnostic mammogram, which is specifically looking for if you have a tumor.”
Timpe says the machine cost $357,000 and was part of this fiscal year’s capital improvement budget.
Timpe also provided an update on the $17-million-dollar expansion and renovation of the emergency and operating rooms.
“We’re right on target; we’re on time and on budget. We’re on phase two, and we do expect phase two to finish probably in March. Then we’ll move on to phase three and hopefully finish the project in August of ’27. March is when we were hoping to move the emergency room back to its original location that’s been updated.”
Timpe says work from March until the August opening date will be behind the scenes to provide additional services to surgery patients.
The board was told the hospital has provided $321,513 in charity care for those who are unable to pay for services during the first six months of the hospital’s fiscal year.
The hospital’s overall patient satisfaction score is above this year’s target, with 92.8 percent giving the hospital good marks. The goal is 89.1.
Nursing Executive Lisa Ambuehl says respiratory diseases are beginning to appear for the upcoming winter season. There have been 12 confirmed flu cases at the hospital and its clinics. The hospital has provided 196 flu shots so far.
Ambuehl also reported preparation is underway for the start of a Coumadin clinic, possibly in December. She reports there is already patient interest in the program that will help them utilizing the blood thinning drug.
