PET/CT Scans

  • Winter 2018

PET/CT imaging unit

Brookings Health System has expanded its outreach efforts to now include diagnostic imaging services. As of this fall, Brookings Health now hosts a Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) mobile imaging unit on its campus the second and fourth Monday of each month. 

Patient getting a PET/CT scan“We constantly look for opportunities to bring services closer to home for our community,” said CEO Jason Merkley. “By having our partner, DMS Health Technologies, bring their mobile PET/CT unit to our campus, area patients can conveniently receive critical diagnostic imaging tests here in Brookings.” 

PET/CT scans combine nuclear medicine and x-ray imaging to provide comprehensive information about a person’s anatomy and metabolic function. The resulting images help physicians pinpoint the location of abnormal activity within the body. 

Patient getting a PET/CT scan“A PET/CT scan allows physicians to diagnose and determine the extent of various cancers, neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, and damage to cardiac muscle after a heart attack,” said Diagnostic Imaging Director Tim Watson. “By merging two imaging procedures in one unit,  PET/CT provides a more detailed picture than either test does alone, resulting in more accurate diagnoses and appropriate treatment plans for patients.”

PET/CT images can be shared with any medical provider from any health organization. Area patients may ask their physician to refer them for a PET/CT scan at Brookings Health by having their physician call Central Scheduling at (605) 696-8888.

PET/CT is just one of the medical imaging services offered at Brookings Health System. Local patients can also receive MRI, CT, ultrasound, nuclear medicine and x-ray procedures close to home, saving them time and travel expenses. Images can be shared with any provider at any health organization.  

For more information, please visit www.brookingshealth.org/Imaging.