AlmaVet, in Jyväskylä Finland, has built for itself a clear and firm niche among the multiple veterinary clinics in the region. Since 2016, co-owners, veterinarians and spouses Suvi and Teppo Heinola provide not only general veterinary and dental care, but specialist endoscopy services as well. Each day, they treat 20-30 small animals – mostly dogs, cats and occasional exotics – with veterinary, dental and laboratory services, X-ray, ultrasound, laser treatment and behavioral therapy. It’s an approach that has made the practice a referral site for some of the hardest cases from other clinics, and has earned the veterinary staff nicknames including ‘Power Team’ and ‘Miracle Makers’.
When they opened their own practice, they chose Agfa CR, purchased from Imaqen, the authorized Agfa Imaging distributor in Finland. Then, in 2018, Imaqen approached them with a proposal. “We were very happy with Agfa’s MUSICA image quality, and Imaqen’s service and support were excellent. So when they came to us and suggested that direct radiography (DR) could offer us benefits that would support our practice and our goals, we certainly listened,” explains Dr. Suvi Heinola. “We asked them if DR really made such a difference, and they said ‘give it a try and see for yourselves’. We agreed to install the Agfa DR Retrofit solution in our clinic temporarily. But after a very short time, we were hooked! We decided to make the switch to DR permanent.”
Agfa’s DR digital detector with MUSICA image processing software has been a real game-changer for AlmaVet, its staff and its patients. “I understood about the workflow and dose reduction benefits of DR, as well as the excellent MUSICA image quality, from the beginning. But the reality still surprised me: it wasn’t until we had carried out many very high-quality thorax and abdominal images that I realized how much more contrast and information I was getting,” comments Dr. Suvi Heinola. “You actually have to relearn to read the images – you see so many more details that you have to realize are ‘normal’.”
But the benefits from clear images are just the start for AlmaVet. Dr. Suvi Heinola describes, “What first struck us was how much easier the DR digital detector made the imaging process, especially for our staff. The DR system is so fast, it had an immediate impact on our workflow: just snap and take the image.” “It also means lower doses for our patients: both in radiation and sedation. We take fewer images, more quickly. The workstation, which enables an intuitive workflow and fast image previews, is in the X-ray room so we only need one nurse for imaging. And with the MUSICA image processing software, you hardly have to think about it: you just know you will always get a great image right away. In a vet clinic, you’re always in a hurry, so that’s a big help.”
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