North Valley Hospital offering mobile nuclear medicine

 In an expansion of its imaging services, North Valley Hospital has begun offering mobile nuclear medicine in Whitefish.

Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose a variety of diseases including many types of cancers, heart disease and certain other abnormalities.

 Offered in collaboration with Kalispell Regional Medical Center, nuclear medical services will be offered every Thursday in a self-contained coach at North Valley Hospital in Whitefish. Previously, patients in the north Flathead Valley had to travel to Kalispell, Missoula or Spokane.

 According to a press release from the hospital, nuclear medicine can be used to identify abnormal lesions deep in the body without exploratory surgery. This imaging also can determine if organs function normally.

For example, nuclear medicine can determine whether a heart pumps blood adequately, if a brain receives enough blood supply, if kidneys function properly and whether the stomach empties as needed. 

Physicians also use nuclear imaging to study Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, seizure sites and heart damage after a heart attack.

North Valley Chief Executive Officer Jason Spring said the service provides convenience for north Flathead Valley residents and a good addition to the hospital’s imaging services.

 For more information, contact the North Valley Hospital Imaging Department at 406-863-3576.