March 24, 2022
Leading CT technology now at Moanalua Medical Center
New CT scanner uses artificial intelligence technologies to personalize scans, improving patient experience and accuracy.
Moanalua Medical Center's new GE Ascend CT Scanner.
HONOLULU — Kaiser Permanente in Hawaii blessed a new computed tomography system at its Moanalua Medical Center today. CT is a vital imaging tool used by clinicians to detect cancer, stroke, heart conditions, and other diseases. Kaiser Permanente is the first health care organization in the Pacific and the second in the U.S. to install the new GE Ascend CT Scanner.
The new CT scanner is equipped with a suite of artificial intelligence technologies that automate and simplify time-consuming tasks to increase operational efficiency and free up time for clinicians to deliver more personalized care to more patients. It boasts features like auto positioning, which uses real-time depth-sensing technology to generate a 3D model of the patient’s body and a deep learning algorithm to determine the correct table elevation and cradle movements. By automating and expediting workflows, the scanner reduces the risk of human error and the exam time by 21% compared to legacy scanners with the same or better results.
“At Kaiser Permanente, we are committed to improving the quality of care and comfort of our members,” said Greg Christian, Hawaii Market president, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals. “We’re proud to provide state-of-the-art technologies that improve diagnostic information and deliver a better patient experience.”
The scanner allows for consistent imaging that has more detail, improving accuracy of diagnoses. It also reduces up to 91% image noise, has a wider entryway to accommodate trauma cases that would otherwise be too delicate to maneuver in a smaller entryway, and captures imaging with lower doses of radiation than prior generations of equipment.
In 2019, Kaiser Permanente opened a state-of the-art imaging suite at its Mapunapuna Medical Office. The 3,700-square-foot, $11.7 million suite contains industry-leading imaging equipment that enables members to receive advanced whole body and specialty imaging in an outpatient medical office, as opposed to a hospital setting.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.
