Osteoporosis One in every two women older than 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture at some point in her life. You can reduce your risk for osteoporosis by getting regular weight-bearing exercise and boosting your calcium and vitamin D intake.

Breast Health Getting regular checkups and performing breast self-exams are two important ways to keep your breasts healthy.

Radiology is the core of a hospital and is the eye into the workings of the human body.

Radiology uses many forms of medical equipment, for example:

• Bone Density is used to measure the density of your bones to note any degeneration of bone mass.
   
• Conventional x-ray uses x-rays that are able to penetrate through various thicknesses of solids and to act on photographic film. These photographs are used to check for broken bones, obstructions, abdominal and chest studies.
   
• Computerized tomography (CT) creates detailed images of your body’s internal organs using X-rays with computer technology. The doughnut-shaped scanner uses radiation to create cross-sectional images, or “slices,” that help physicians detect tumors, heart disease or internal injuries or bleeding. A CT scan may require that you not eat or drink if you have to drink a contrast liquid—which helps healthcare providers see body structures more clearly—or have a contrast dye injected before the test. The exam usually lasts less than an hour, including any preparations, though the actual scan may only last a minute or two.
    
• Interventional Radiology allows for biopsies and other minimally invasive procedures to be performed without the need for surgery in order to diagnosis certain conditions.
   
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create cross-sectional images of your head, body, muscles and blood flow. Because an MRI provides a clear view of internal organs and tissues, it helps physicians diagnose injuries and other health conditions much faster than with other technologies. For patients who have pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators, a computed tomography (CT) scan may be a safer imaging tool. (The devices may malfunction during an MRI scan).
   
• Mammography, a special X-ray of the breasts, can detect lumps and other forms of breast disease that may be too small to be felt even by an experienced examiner. Early detection affords the best opportunity for a cure.
   
• Nuclear medicine uses tiny amounts of radioactive materials to perform heart studies and diagnose bone cancer, bone infections and stress fractures. The radioactive materials are introduced into the patient’s body by injection, swallowing or inhalation. Special cameras that work with computers detect the radioactive materials to provide sharp images of the body.
    
• Sonogram/Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to evaluate organs in the body and commonly to examine fetal development. Detailed images are returned in real time, making ultrasound particularly helpful for guiding minimally invasive procedures—such as needle biopsies—and for visualizing organ, blood vessel and tissue movement.

Billing information

You will receive two separate bills for your radiology procedure. Part A is the hospital bill and billed under Hill Regional Hospital. Part B is the radiologist, a specially trained physician, whose charge is for the reading and supervision of your x-ray. You will receive a separate bill from the hospital. The radiologist bill will come from Hill County X-ray Physicians.

If you need an imaging study, you can feel confident in Hill Regional Hospital’s technology and the extensively trained team.

Early detection is key!

When it comes to disease, early diagnosis is key to effective treatment. If you need advanced imaging, you can get it close to home at Hill Regional Hospital. If you have any questions concerning our imaging services, please call 254-580-8815.