$12 million expansion of Allegheny Valley Hospital radiology will combine services in one place

People who use a satellite radiology center on Freeport Road in Harrison will instead receive services at Allegheny Valley Hospital beginning this summer.

A $12 million hospital expansion project is underway to enhance the imaging department and will feature a broader range of services under one roof.

The project won’t require major construction at the hospital along Carlisle Street.

Work will occur mostly within the existing hospital space, with the department reconfigured to fill unused space. Some offices will be moved or consolidated for better design.

“There will be a small addition to the existing structure that will enable the utilization of the mobile MRI/PET scanner,” said Sarafina James, senior public relations analyst for corporate communications at Allegheny Health Network.

The project will make it possible for AVH to absorb services currently offered at Radiological Imaging, about 2 miles away.

“While the complete construction project is not scheduled to be finalized until mid-2024, portions related to all services previously offered at the Radiological Imaging site are scheduled to be complete and functional prior to the scheduled closure date,” James said.

No date has been announced for the outpatient site’s closure.

Staff there will either join the expanded hospital facility or will have the chance to move elsewhere in the network.

AVH’s current imaging services include ultrasound, 3D mammography, CT scanning, MRI and general radiography.

Once completed, the new department will feature more services that include additional breast imaging and mammography capabilities as well as dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanning. DEXA measures bone density and helps to diagnose conditions such as osteoporosis.

AHN Imaging Institute chair Bethany Casagranda said patients will have everything they need under one roof, which should prove beneficial.

“We will be able to serve more people in the community if services are moved to this location,” she said.