Saddleback Memorial Medical Center

Saddleback Memorial Medical Center
By Shelley T. Hudson

s the health care industry in the United States faces yet another wave of sweeping changes, hospital administrators and medical providers have been working diligently behind the scenes doing what they do best—adapting. Every aspect of health care has been transformed by fast-moving digital technology and the internet. Patients are better informed and can take more of an active role in wellness plans. Information can be gathered and communicated more efficiently. Physicians can spend more quality time with patients instead of sifting through paperwork. Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in San Clemente has embraced the sea of change and become a leader in the industry by answering each new challenge with an investment in the future.

The latest of these investments in patient care is Saddleback Memorial’s new Radiology and Fluoroscopy Suite. As digital imaging has improved exponentially in just the last few years, so have concerns of exposure to radiation. Saddleback Memorial’s new CT Scanner is equipped with the latest “low-dose technology” and promises 60% less radiation than the older models. Less radiation with each scan translates to a significant reduction in lifelong exposure—a very important factor in pediatric and geriatric populations. The image quality of the new scanner is sharper and clearer as well, so a radiologist can determine a diagnosis with greater accuracy.

The upgraded fluoroscopy equipment represents a 50% reduction in radiation as well. The operator can record the entire procedure so that it can be reviewed and repeated by the patient and physician. “We are able to acquire images with extraordinary quality at the lowest achievable dosage levels, even in the most challenging cases,” says Sue Murray, Saddleback Memorial’s Director of Imaging Services. Murray also notes that all data is transferred instantly to the Picture Archiving and Communication System as a permanent digital record.

With the addition of Saddleback Memorial’s new imaging suite, the hospital can now offer nearly every state-of-the-art imaging modality available in the country. The adjacent Memorial Care Imaging Center is an outpatient facility that offers a convenient alternative to the hospital setting. The MemorialCare Imaging Center is a great option for non-emergency patients who may require more frequent diagnostic services. The nearby Talega Breast Diagnostic and Imaging Center also offers a convenient and specialized option.

Saddleback Memorial’s Administrator at the San Clemente campus, Tony Struthers, is enthusiastic about the hospital’s growth and positive direction. “We can’t do it alone as a hospital,” he admits, “health care is evolving and becoming part of a network. Care will eventually be administered through a larger organization.” Although he laments the near disappearance of solo practitioners, Struthers sees the momentum toward coordinated care as a benefit to patients. He adds, “The single-doctor types of practices carry such large overhead and are more expensive for patients. We are headed toward more integrated care. Patients will have access to an extended system of clinicians and will have to endure fewer repeated procedures.”

Saddleback Memorial
654 Camino De Los Mares, San Clemente
949.496.1122
memorialcare.org