The Eastern Health Medical Imaging Department is a diagnostic & interventional health service available to all medical practitioners of private & public patients located in the Eastern Health catchment area. It provides a comprehensive range of diagnostic medical imaging modalities and interventional procedure support for a variety of applications.
X-Ray facilities for both general and dental applications are available as are the full range of CT, Mammography, Ultrasound, Fluoroscopy and Angiography services. These include advanced Cardiac Catheterisation laboratory facilities commissioned mid-2002 and an advanced angiography suite installed mid-2004 at its Box Hill hospital campus. Nuclear Medicine and MRI imaging services are also available and are accessed through Eastern Health as fully privatised services.
Radiography Students:
The department is a radiography teaching facility affiliated with Monash and RMIT Universities. During their first 3 years of study, undergraduate students from both universities are taken on rotation giving practical training to support theoretical classroom work. As the largest and most comprehensive campus, Box Hill Hospital takes the bulk of students in training but both Maroondah and Angliss hospitals also take a share of the training provided to undergraduate radiographers.
Placements are given to the Monash University 4th year PCP (Professional Clinical Placement) students for 6 months to consolidate their training and enable them to gain their professional practicing registration. As part of an affiliation with the Austin Hospital and Austin Health Medical Imaging department, graduates from RMIT University undertaking their 12 month intern placement are rotated through the various hospitals to enable them to gain their professional practicing registration.
Accreditation:
The Medical Imaging department is accredited under the ACHS EQuIP accreditation held by Eastern Health.
The department is currently undertaking a project to gain accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025. This specialised technical accreditation is offered as a joint program by RANZCR (Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Radiologists) and NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities).
Box Hill Hospital campus
The largest of the Eastern Health campuses, Box Hill Hospital celebrates 50 years continuous community service in 2006. Originally called the X-Ray department, the Medical Imaging department has been an integral element of this service since the opening of the Box Hill Hospital in 1956. It has grown to now be staffed by more than 80 radiographers, nursing, ward support and administration staff.
Medical Imaging modalities at Box Hill Hospital include general radiography, CT, ultrasound, fluoroscopy and angiography facilities. Nuclear Medicine and MRI imaging services are accessed through the department as fully privatised services.
Maroondah Hospital campus
Maroondah Hospital has provided medical imaging services to the outer eastern metropolitan region for over 25 years. With a staff complement of over 35 radiographers, nursing, ward support and administration staff, it provides a full range of imaging procedures including general & dental radiography, fluoroscopy and ultrasound. Nuclear Medicine and CT imaging services are accessed through the department as fully privatised services.
The Medical Imaging department’s Mammography service was accredited by RANZCR (Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Radiologists) in 2001. This medical imaging service provides additional diagnostic services to the Maroondah BreastScreen clinic which was also accredited by the Victorian BreastScreen Accreditation Committee in 2001. The Maroondah service is considered a Centre of Excellence for breast imaging and diagnosis.
Angliss Hospital campus
As a bush hospital servicing the Dandenong Ranges region, Angliss Hospital first opened in 1939 at Chandler House. It had 10 beds available and there were no X-Ray facilities. A small X-Ray facility commenced operation in the 1950’s. Since then as hospital services have grown, the department has expanded to now include over 25 personnel providing technical imaging, nursing, ward and administrative support.
The Angliss Hospital Medical Imaging department currently offers an extended range of medical imaging services. These include 2 new general X-Ray rooms commissioned in 2004, one of which is dedicated to support the 24 hr Emergency Department as well as the 230 bed in-patient and out-patient service. Along with general X-Ray facilities there are CT, Fluoroscopy, Nuclear Medicine, a full range of Ultrasound and specialist dental X-Ray facilities to support the many diagnostic and interventional procedures now undertaken within the department. Nuclear Medicine imaging services are accessed through the department as a fully privatised service.
Healesville Hospital campus
In response to the community need for a general X-Ray medical imaging service in the local region surrounding Healesville, an Eastern Health Medical Imaging service was opened in September 2004. This service is located within Healesville & District Hospital.
Medical Imaging services at Healesville Hospital are operated through the administration of the Maroondah Hospital Medical Imaging campus. The general X-Ray service is offered week days only on a limited basis to all out-patients and hospital in-patients. Access to the service is available to all medical practitioners of private & public patients located in the region.
All other patients (including out of hours Emergency & Trauma Care patients) should present to Eastern Health’s Box Hill, Maroondah or Angliss Hospitals for medical imaging service attention.
Peter James Centre campus
The Peter James Centre is a 188 bed facility commissioned in 1985. It provides older and disabled people with specialist assessment, rehabilitation, advisory and psychiatric services offering general medicine and aged psychiatric assessment, short-term rehabilitation and aged psychiatry residential care.
Since 2001, Medical Imaging services at the Peter James Centre have been operated under the management of the Box Hill Hospital Medical Imaging campus. Offered to Peter James Centre in-patients only, a general X-Ray service is available on week days on a limited basis. If required, additional medical imaging services are accessed by ambulance transfer to Box Hill Hospital.
Research
Eastern Health Medical Imaging is a regular participant in many internal and external clinical research studies. The department encourages and collaborates with Consultants and Registrars carrying out research either in medical imaging processes or utilising medical imaging results.
Since 1995, the department has provided medical imaging services to support research contracted by ECRU (Eastern Clinical Research Unit) at both the Box Hill Hospital and Maroondah Hospital campuses.
Further information should be obtained from ECRU at: www.easternhealth.org.au/ecru/ecru.html
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