Installation begins on new X-ray machine in Mayerthorpe

MAYERTHORPE- Installation began November 19, 2018 on a new X-ray machine at the Mayerthorpe Healthcare Centre.

The new machine is expected to be operational in eight weeks. It replaces an X-ray machine that was installed in 2005 and had reached the end of its life cycle.

Over the next two months, a temporary portable X-ray unit will be set up on site for patients requiring an emergent exam.

Patients requiring a non-emergent exam will be informed to use another AHS facility to receive services, such as the Whitecourt Healthcare Centre or Barrhead Healthcare Centre.

No other facility operations will be impacted during this time.

X-rays are used to produce images of the structures inside the body, particularly bones, to assist a physician in making a diagnosis. X-ray beams can pass through the body, but are absorbed in different amounts depending on the density of the material they pass through.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.