Shands Live Oak Regional Medical Center is pleased to announce the addition of nuclear medicine services to the hospital. Patients benefit from a talented and tenured health care team as well as state-of-the-art technology. The new offerings eliminate patients’ need to travel to Jacksonville or Tallahassee for important diagnostic tests, saving individuals time and money.

Nuclear medicine has become an increasingly important diagnostic tool. Unlike other imaging modalities, it quantifies physiological function as opposed to imaging anatomical structure. Examining an organ’s structure and metabolic function, nuclear medicine uses very small amounts of radioactive materials to scan organs for abnormalities, evaluate the spread of cancer, locate infection and identify blood clots in lungs.

For cardiologists, nuclear medicine exams provide images of the distribution of blood flow to the heart muscle and function of the heart. The following nuclear medicine tests are now offered at Shands Live Oak Regional Medical Center:

Cardiology Tests: Nuclear Stress Tests, Cardiac Gated Blood Pool Scan (MUGA), Routine Stress Tests (Non-Nuclear)

General Nuclear Medicine Tests: Bone Scan, HIDA, Gastric Empty Scan, Hemangioma Scan, Labeled WBC Scan, Liver/Spleen Scan, Meckel’s Diverticulum, GI Bleeding, V/Q Lung Scan, Parathyroid Scan, Renal Scan, Thallium Viability Scan, Lymphoscintigraphy, MUGA Scan

Adding nuclear medicine services to the hospital is part of Shands Live Oak Regional Medical Center’s commitment to the community in providing patients access to world-class medical care. Onsite cardiology services as well as the addition of a brand new CT scanner also make the hospital’s list of successfully completed projects within the past year.

Having nuclear medicine at Shands Live Oak Regional Medical Center means that scans can be performed onsite at the hospital with results readily available for patients within 24 hours. Patients interested in having nuclear medicine tests performed at Shands Live Oak Regional Medical Center should ask their physician to schedule their appointment by calling 386-362-0870 or fax a test order form to 386-362-0871. To schedule a patient consult with one of the dedicated cardiologists, please call Shands Live Oak Regional Medical Center onsite clinic at 386-362-0820.

Shands Live Oak is a 25 bed critical access care facility located five miles south of Interstate 10 in Live Oak, Fla. Directly in-between Jacksonville and Tallahassee, Shands Live Oak provides over 50,000 citizens in Live Oak and the surrounding communities acute care, diagnostic services, emergency services and outpatient services. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare. Additionally, Shands Live Oak offers a Primary Care Clinic and Medical Group Clinic offering a wide array of health care services.