Cascade Medical’s new MRI service aims to cut wait, travel times

LEAVENWORTH — Cascade Medical Center is now offering MRI scans, or magnetic resonance imaging, one day a week at the downtown Leavenworth hospital.

“We want to provide as holistic all in one care for our patients as possible…Especially with something like MRIs – usually, the need is acute, and you need that care. We don't want our community members to have to wait months and travel miles and miles to receive this care,” said Clint Strand, Cascade Medical Director of Public Relations.

Cascade Medical’s diagnostic imaging currently includes 3D mammography, CT scan, bone densitometry (DEXA), X-ray, and ultrasound. While X-rays and CT scans provide quick information on dense organs and bones, MRIs give doctors detailed views of soft tissues like muscles, ligaments, and organs, making them essential for accurate diagnoses and surgical planning.

“You see every layer of fat, muscle, bone – all the things. So, a lot of modalities work hand in hand. This is a very specific modality where it's very in depth, and that's why it's so important to have,” said Cascade Medical Director of Radiology Deseree Bybee.

Cascade Medical estimates about 300 patients in its hospital district need to head outside of it for an MRI every year. The nearest MRI services are available at Confluence Health’s Central and Mares campuses, with the next closest option in Chelan.

The limited access creates a bottleneck for services, with urgent, life-threatening cases taking priority over scheduled outpatient scans – some of which are necessary to proceed with a surgery. These wait times and distances can not only delay needed medical care, but sometimes discourage a patient from pursuing it altogether, said Bybee.

Starting every Wednesday, Cascade Medical will have a mobile MRI unit available for scheduled outpatient appointments as a way to relieve this bottleneck and allow for other hospitals to focus on providing emergent care.

“It's allowing for patient access to become better…Maybe they'll have to drive, but they won't have to drive as far to get their exam done, or wait as long to maybe have their procedures done,” said Bybee.

According to Bybee, the mobile unit will allow the hospital to perform a wide range of imaging, including orthopedic scans for injuries, pre-surgical workups, and imaging of internal organs such as the gallbladder. However, she noted that it will not be able to perform breast, cardiac or prostate MRI scans, due to the specialized equipment or expertise needed.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media