Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital begins first phase of new MRI imaging capability

Sumter, S.C.— Prisma Health is making a $2.7 million healthcare investment in Sumter with the installation of a new MRI machine at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital. In two phases, Tuomey Hospital will transition to the latest evolution in diagnostic imaging technology. During the construction phase, the Radiology Department will use a more advanced and portable MRI scanner with enhanced image resolution software. 

“It’s remarkable how this technology has progressed, with the hardware becoming smaller and faster, and the images capturing more detail than ever,” said Angie Gilley, imaging manager for Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital. “Our current machine in Sumter weighs close to 60,000 pounds and the new models are a fraction of that scale.” The hospital’s current unit will be dismantled and removed over a period of about 16 weeks and transported on flatbed trailers. A glass wall barrier behind the scanner will be removed to allow for installation of the new machine, which weighs far less at 8,000 pounds and provides highly advanced images. 

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is non-invasive technology that uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed, high-resolution images of a person’s organs and tissues. It is used to illustrate the difference between healthy and diseased tissue and can lead to early detection and treatment of disease and injury, from torn ligaments to cancerous tumors. 

The development of this diagnostic tool revolutionized modern medicine. Physicians and researchers continue to refine the machine and expand its scope and capabilities. MRI is used to help diagnose such things as aneurysms, multiple sclerosis, stroke, tumors, anomalies of the brain and spinal cord, injuries or abnormalities of the joints, certain types of heart problems, diseases of the liver and other abdominal organs and suspected uterine abnormalities. 

About Prisma Health

Prisma Health is a not-for-profit health company and the largest healthcare system in South Carolina. With nearly 30,000 team members, 18 hospitals, 2,947 beds and more than 300 outpatient sites with nearly 2,000 physicians, Prisma Health serves more than 1.2 million unique patients annually in its 21-county market area that covers 50% of South Carolina. Prisma Health’s goal is to improve the health of all South Carolinians by enhancing clinical quality, the patient experience and access to affordable care, as well as conducting clinical research and training the next generation of medical professionals.