How do I pay for my exam? If you have other questions or would like to take a tour... Although Winchester Hospital accepts most major commercial insurance Please don’t hesitate to call us. We want you Nuclear plans, Medicare, Medicaid and Worker’s to feel comfortable and be informed about Compensation, it is important to check your exam. If you have further questions, call with your carrier prior to your exam to our Nuclear Medicine Department at Medicine determine coverage. If you do not have (781) 756-2310 or fax (781) 756-2311. health insurance, we accept MasterCard or Patient Information Visa, personal checks or cash. Your Appointment Is: How will I get my exam results? Your exam will be interpreted by a Date: radiologist using our state-of-the-art Picture Time: Archiving and Communication System (PACS). The results will then be sent to your Scheduling Phone: (781) 756-2211 doctor. Your doctor, in turn, will review the results with you to determine the best course q Winchester Hospital of treatment. 41 Highland Avenue Winchester, MA 01890 How do I obtain a copy of my images? You will need to pre-arrange the release of your images by calling Winchester Hospital’s Imaging Center in Woburn at (781) 756-4008 or Winchester Hospital at (781) 756-2353. A notice of 24 hours is preferred for most efficient customer service. Urgent requests will be honored, but there may be a 30- to 60-minute wait.

Advancing Health. www.winchesterhospital.org Advancing Care. IMAGING

Bringing Medical Excellence Nuclear medicine exams require a written is administered to you by injecting it into physician order that can be faxed or brought a vein, taking it by mouth or inhaling it as to Our Community with you. You may be required to have pre- a gas. It travels through your bloodstream authorization from your insurance carrier to a specific area of the body where it Winchester Hospital’s nuclear medicine prior to your exam. accumulates in the organs or tissues to be services are located at the hospital’s main imaged. The camera then detects and records campus. Our technology provides great the radioactive emission from your body. comfort for patients and our imaging staff is How do I prepare for my exam? dedicated to providing high-quality exams Depending on the body part to be examined, For some nuclear medicines studies, imaging and timely results. your physician may provide specific takes place immediately. For others, images instructions on how to prepare for the exam. are taken an hour, two hours or even Our nuclear medicine services are accredited You should follow these instructions closely. several days after administration of the by the American College of Radiology (ACR). radiopharmaceutical. In all cases, you are Before your examination, a nuclear medicine During your visit, our staff will answer any permitted to leave the hospital and return for technologist will explain the procedure and questions you might have about your exam. the imaging procedure. answer any questions you might have. A nuclear medicine technologist is a skilled Most nuclear medicine procedures require What is nuclear medicine? medical professional who has received several different images from different angles, Nuclear medicine is unique because it shows specialized education in the areas of and the technologist may ask you to change how organs and tissues are working. For anatomy, radiation protection, patient care, position during the examination. You will example, nuclear medicine allows physicians radiopharmaceuticals, radiation exposure and need to lie still during each scan. Imaging to see how a kidney is functioning, not just nuclear medicine procedures. can take as long as two hours. what it looks like. Other diagnostic imaging Tell the technologist if you have any allergies What should I do after my exam? tests, such as X-rays, CT scans and MRIs, or if you are undergoing other diagnostic tests reveal anatomical structure. because these factors may require adjustments In most cases, the radiation that you are in how the examination is performed. exposed to during a nuclear medicine There are more than 50 different nuclear procedure is equal or less than a standard medicine examinations to assess organ Be sure to tell the technologist if you are X-ray of the same body area. In general, function. A thyroid uptake study shows how pregnant or are breastfeeding. Nuclear the radiopharmaceutical administered well the thyroid gland is working. A cardiac medicine tests usually are not recommended during the examination will be eliminated stress test shows blood flow to the heart and for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. naturally from your body in one or two helps your physician detect coronary artery days. Drinking fluids will help clear the disease. Bone scans can detect fractures, What can I expect during my nuclear radiopharmaceuticals from your system more tumors and infections. medicine exam? quickly. You do not need to avoid contact with other people during this time. For most nuclear medicine examinations, you How do I schedule my exam? are positioned on a scanning table underneath To schedule a nuclear medicine exam, call our a scintillation, or gamma camera. The camera centralized scheduling office at (781) 756-2211. is not a tube or tunnel. A radiopharmaceutical