As doctors and nurses planned the South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center, providing cutting-edge medicine was their top priority. Among their priorities were the following services:

New Catheterization Lab

"The thing we are most excited about is our catheterization lab," said Dr. Gladwyn Baptist, president-elect of the medical staff. "Our 'cath lab' is a state-of-the-art system."

The opening of the "Cath Lab" marks the first time low-risk cardiac patients will be able to stay in Cumberland County for treatment. Before patients had to an hour or more for such cardiac care.

Catheterization is a procedure where a surgeon inserts a small tube into a vein or artery then uses the tube to track down problems in the heart or the coronary arteries. The tube can be used just to diagnose a problem, or it can be used to fix a problem without surgery. "Angioplasty"-a procedure commonly used to open clogged or narrow arteries-is a procedure requiring catheterization.

The catheterization lab at SJH Regional Medical Center is designed for "low-risk" patients, or patients who may have a problem but are not at immediate risk of a heart attack.

"The whole idea is to provide the service to the community on their doorstep," said Dr. Baptist.

Because of the better medical care available, more and more doctors are attracted to the area.

For more information about cardiology services and the new low-risk catheterization lab, please visit the Cardiology page.

High-tech imaging

In modern hospitals, the radiology department is essential for diagnosing and treating serious diseases and conditions. That is why South Jersey Healthcare decided to invest an estimated $10 million in radiology equipment alone.

Among the specialized services available is a 16-slice CT scanner-truly the cutting edge in scanning technology. This scanner produces higher-quality images faster, making diagnosis and treatment more accurate.

The nuclear medicine technology at SJH Regional Medical Center also provides a state-of-the-art service, a service that helps doctors determine when bodily functions aren't occurring properly.

In addition to the CT scanner and the nuclear medicine, the radiology department also includes a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit, mammography units, a Dexascan machine to measure bone loss, plus portable X-ray and ultrasound units.

See the Radiology page for more information about Radiology services at SJH Regional Medical Center.