Fall-Winter 2025 9 PET/CT services,” says Garrard Hendrix, Riverside Medical Center’s Nuclear Medicine Supervisor. “Now, we’ve always provided fixed MRI and CT solutions at our Bourbonnais clinic. However, it’s Riverside’s principal intent to provide our patients with the most cutting-edge technology as the premier healthcare provider in this county, as well as in surrounding communities.” A better experience Last April, Bittmann had his first scan on the new PET/CT unit. “This time, it seemed like it was very fast,” he says. “There’s less time that you’re lying in the machine. It’s a lot more efficient.” A quicker scan helped make the experience more comfortable for Bittmann, who also has a bad back that makes it hard for him to lie still for long periods. He also praised the high-quality images his doctors were able to obtain. “I think it was a good investment for Riverside, because it’s close to home,” Bittmann says. “I only need to go a couple of miles from my house, instead of having to go all the way up to Chicago and deal with all that traffic up there.” The addition of permanent PET/CT technology at Bourbonnais means that patients who need a scan, including those newly diagnosed with cancer, won’t have to wait for a mobile unit to arrive. “It’s good for the community to have that piece of equipment here locally,” Bittmann says. Need an appointment? Imaging services are available with a doctor’s order. New patients can call Radiology Services at (815) 214-9281. Existing Riverside patients can either call us or schedule a future or same-day appointment online through myRiverside MyChart. How PET/CT works A PET/CT scan is a nuclear imaging technique that combines a PET (positron emission tomography) scan with a CT (computed tomography) scan. Patients receive a small amount of an injected radioactive substance. The substance can be similar to glucose (sugar), which tumors absorb at a high rate. Because of the way cancer cells use glucose, they “light up” on a PET scan. PET/CT scans have a variety of uses. They can help doctors find cancer, determine if cancer has spread and monitor the effectiveness of treatments, for instance. Scans can also be used to help manage other conditions, like heart and brain disorders.
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