Dignity Health Hospitals Offers Technologically Advanced 3D Mammography

Dignity Health Central Coast, which includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital (AGCH), Marian Regional Medical Center (MRMC), and French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC), is proud to announce it has installed the final two of four new General Electric 3D Mammography imaging machines at two outpatient imaging centers on the Central Coast. Marian Breast Imaging Center, located in Santa Maria, and Coastal Diagnostic Center, located in Pismo Beach, each have the new 3D Mammo capability and are now accepting patients.

These new machines are due to the generosity of community donors whose donations totaled $75,000 to the AGCH Foundation as well as donations to the MRMC Foundation that continue to benefit the Marian Cancer Care Center.

General Electric’s SenoClaire 3D Mammography, also known as Breast Tomosynthesis, is a three-dimensional imaging technology that uses a low-dose short X-ray sweep around the compressed breast. The SenoClaire detector delivers high quality digital imagery at low dose that delivers greater accuracy in finding size, shape, and location of any breast irregularities. A side-by-side comparison of breast imaging technology demonstrates that the GE SenoClaire is superior in the following areas: 

• Offers the lowest X-ray dose available in 3D Mammography.
• Contains “step-and-shoot” technology which mitigates repeat exams.
• Results in superior detection of breast abnormalities and calcifications.
• Uses a high resolution detector system.

“Dignity Health Central Coast offers the safest, most advanced technology available today for our patients” says Charles J. Cova, Sr. VP of Operations, Dignity Health. “These new 3D Mammography technology additions are the continued steps we are taking to provide our Central Coast community with enhanced patient care.”     

These two latest GE SenoClaire 3D Mammography machines are the final two of four 3D imaging technologies installed at Dignity Health Central Coast over the last six months. These locations are: Coastal Diagnostic Center; Marian Breast Imaging Center; French Hospital’s San Luis Diagnostic Center; and French Hospital’s Women’s Health & Imaging Center.

Both the Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Foundation and the Marian Regional Medical Center Foundation are non-profit, public benefit organizations with the purpose to raise funds through charitable contributions for the betterment of community health care. Both Foundations rely on the generosity of the community to help support the hospital’s efforts to provide quality health care for local programs and services. 

“The Foundation’s ability to fund this new technology is made possible through the generous support of our San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County communities,” states, Montisa Lopez, AGCH Vice President of Philanthropy. “The GE SenoClaire Breast Tomosynthesis technology is a great example of how community support continues to drive the advances in quality, safety, and service at Dignity Health Central Coast.” 

Individuals interested in supporting each foundation’s health care mission, programs, and services for patients and families of the Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and Marian Regional Medical Center can contact the AGCH Foundation at (805) 994-5421, SupportArroyoGrande.org and MRMC Foundation at (805) 739-3595, SupportMarianMedical.org.

Dignity Health Central Coast

Dignity Health Central Coast is comprised of five hospitals, all recognized for their quality of care, safety and service, primary care offices, premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically advanced imaging centers, outpatient services and comprehensive home health services. Hospitals in the Dignity Health Central Coast region include Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo and St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard. Each hospital is supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to provide additional funding to support new programs and services, as well as to advance the community’s access to health care.