Franciscan Health Olympia Fields Caring Suite Revolutionizes The MRI Experience

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Illinois - The Franciscan Health MRI Caring Suite combines video, music and lighting controlled by the patient to create a positive diagnostic imaging experience. Franciscan Health Olympia Fields has transformed the usually stark clinical MRI suite into a welcoming, individualized patient-centered environment.

The Franciscan Health MRI Caring Suite gives patients the power to instantly personalize video, lighting and music to suit their individual tastes. It features a wide range of music and video options to ensure that there’s content for every patient and every mood. Patients can appreciate this new relaxing atmosphere from the moment they enter the suite. Even the illuminated image panels and colored LED wall and ceiling lighting are customized by the patient.

A prominent 50-inch 4K video screen mounted on the ceiling, above the patient table, displays calming, serene landscapes and another 32-inch HD video screen even enables patients to view their chosen video throughout their scan with prism glasses or a head coil mirror.

“Patients are often intimidated and frightened when they enter a stark, sterile scan room with a huge MRI machine inside,” said Cathy Cox, Franciscan Health Director of Imaging. “The Caring Suite is designed to help patients feel more in control. They choose the lighting and they select their video. Patients are even invited to bring their favorite DVDs from home to watch.”

The principle reason for giving patients control of their environment during their MRI is to further enhance patient comfort and reduce motion during exams.

“Less motion means fewer repeat sequences, leading to shorter scans, improved image quality and, ultimately, more accurate diagnoses,” said radiologist Raj Chinnappan, MD.

The Caring Suite is also equipped with today’s most advanced MRI technology. The GE Healthcare Discovery MR750w 3.0T system delivers uncompromised imaging capability for the most advanced and demanding exams.

“This advanced technology is making it possible to perform less invasive and more accurate exams, delivering more precise images of the brain, spine and joints,” Dr. Chinnappan said. “It is also equipped with an advanced vascular package with the potential to produce picture-perfect images during and after strokes.

Franciscan Health has invested as much effort into what happens outside this advanced MRI as what happens inside, completely transforming the usually mundane MRI experience with a modern, patient-centric approach. This truly caring suite is maximizing patient comfort through sight and sound to further unleash the potential of advanced MR technology.