Thursday, February 08, 2007
Sacred Heart Expands Radiology Service to Port St. Joe
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Sacred Heart Health System has opened a new radiology clinic providing general x-ray services in Port St. Joe.
The radiology clinic will be staffed by a Sacred Heart employee and located inside the Gulf County Health Department Building on Garrison Avenue.
“Sacred Heart is pleased to provide a service that is not readily available in Port St. Joe,” said Sidney Scarborough, vice president of ambulatory care with Sacred Heart Health System. “Digital x-rays will be sent online to our radiologists for interpretation, with electronic reports provided back to referring physicians within 24 hours.”
The service is available weekdays for walk-in patients and scheduled patients. The Gulf County Health Department purchased digital x-ray equipment with foundation money obtained by the City of Port St. Joe from the Stafford L. Barke Trust. In addition, a major donation was made by Monica Ward Stone, widow of the late Dr. Albert Ward who was instrumental in establishing the county Health Department. Gulf County Health Department donated space for the clinic, while Sacred Heart has agreed to provide x-ray services to indigent patients in the county.
“This partnership brings desperately needed radiological specialty care services to our community,” said Doug Kent, director of the Gulf County Health Department. “Digital radiology is a real time event which allows local doctors who have internet connection to be able to view the images in their offices. There are no large, ungainly x-ray folders to be carried around - only a CD that can be taken to doctors outside Gulf County and viewed in their offices.”
The new x-ray clinic is the first of many new health care services that Sacred Heart plans to provide to the community. The Pensacola-based health system plans to begin construction later this year on a 25-bed hospital and medical office building in Port St. Joe.
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