Imaging (see more articles like this)

The sound of waves crashing, children playing, the smell of coconut oil, no ties or tight-fitting clothing, just Bermuda shorts, flip-flops, and a soft, comfortable robe. You might think this is describing  some beach in the Caribbean, but it’s actually  Seaside Imaging – The Healing Environment at Florida Hospital Celebration Health. It just opened on October 3 and it features an MRI and CT scanner in a relaxing beach atmosphere.

The experience begins when the patient enters their own cabana to change clothes. They are given a colorful and thick beach robe along with a brightly colored shorts outfit and a pair of flip-flop sandals to wear. After changing, the patient is taken down a boardwalk leading to the CT/MRI area where they will find a sand castle façade covering the CT and MRI equipment. All the while they are surrounded by sounds of waves and birds and the familiar, comforting aroma of the beach.

“I’ve had other MRI scans done and nothing compares to this”, said patient Jennie Halfhill. “From the start, where they give you your robe and flip-flops, right up to the actual scan itself, with the goggles through which you can watch your favorite movie while undergoing the scan -- it’s a totally different experience”.

Typically, MRI or CT exams can be frightening. Many patients are forced to go through the exam only while sedated or may even cancel the entire scan. At Florida Hospital Celebration Health, at least one person per day cancels a CT or MRI exam due to claustrophobia. Across the entire Florida Hospital system, which performs over 20,000 MRI exams per year, three percent of all CT or MRI patients cancel because of claustrophobia. At the Seaside Imaging Center, we have created a relaxing atmosphere that is safe, fun and lets the patients take control of their overall healthcare experience.

“Part of Celebration Health’s mission is to provide a complete healing environment”, said Sally Grady, Director of Imaging for Celebration Health. “That includes the mental and spiritual, as well as the physical. This new setting is just an extension of that mission”.

For more information, please visit: www.celebration.com and go to the Imaging Service Center, or call Florida Hospital Media Relations at (407) 303-1917.

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