Vancouver Imaging
Redefining Radiology Care with Inclusivity

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ancouver Imaging is Canada’s largest sub-specialty academic diagnostic and interventional radiology group, delivering world-class medical imaging services. Its team of specialized radiologists provides world-class radiology services to urban and rural communities.

Each radiologist contributes their distinct expertise across various fields, including neuroradiology, cardiovascular, thoracic, abdominal, emergency trauma and musculoskeletal imaging. Complementing these specialty experts is a select group of body and neuro interventional radiologists, who undergo rigorous, in-house training to conduct complex minimally invasive procedures for enhanced patient outcomes.

“Regardless of the time, day, or holiday, our radiologists are available on-site 24/7/365, ready to deliver prompt care and make critical decisions during emergencies such as stroakes, trauma, and cardiac events,” says Dr. Savvas Nicolaou, CEO of Vancouver Imaging, emphasizing their commitment to accessibility and swift action.

This dedication is perfectly matched by Vancouver Imaging’s pledge to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DEI) through a comprehensive approach to recruiting, retaining, promoting, and recognizing faculty and residents from all backgrounds. Embedding DEI principles throughout all operational aspects helps Vancouver Imaging in connecting clinical excellence with a progressive, inclusive, just and safe workplace culture.

The embodiment of this ethos is evident in Vancouver Imaging’s fellowship program. Designed to welcome students and residents, especially from marginalized communities, the program offers an enriching educational experience with significant clinical exposure and supervised training. Many of these Fellows return to their global communities to implement similar programs. Vancouver Imaging’s collaboration with the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) further extends its outreach, ensuring patients in remote areas also receive prompt, specialized imaging services.

In line with its mission to provide excellence and innovation in the delivery of imaging care, Vancouver Imaging continuously incorporates the latest technological advancements in the field. Integrating innovations such as advanced multi-energy CT scans allow for non-invasive visualization of the heart’s arterial supply, facilitating early detection of coronary blockages and vulnerable plaques.

Sub-specialty experience of global leaders in dual-erergy imaging facilitates non-invasive diagnosis of gout by detecting uric acid crystals, ruling out deadly ischemia by visualizing intact bowel circulation and accurately quantifying disease patterns.

The use of advanced multi-energy CT scanners marks a significant leap, much like moving from traditional black-and-white imaging to a vivid, 4K color display. This innovation provides radiologists with physiological maps that reveal the chemical composition of tissues, offering a more detailed understanding of the patient’s anatomy and physiology. The touch of AI further assists radiologists in rapidly analyzing complex imaging data, identifying subtle patterns or anomalies that might be challenging to discern manually.

Vancouver Imaging adopts a holistic approach to patient care that extends beyond mere diagnosis. Integrating therapeutic interventions directly into its diagnostic services, it shows a seamless transition from identification to treatment within the same framework. Its on-site delivery of endovascular therapy, for example, is designed to remove clots from blood vessels in the brain, while its employment of vascular micro-invasive techniques aims to quickly cease active bleeding caused by vessel injuries, avoiding traditional surgeries.

It has also introduced a targeted program for pain and osteoarthritis management, specifically focusing on neuromodulation and the geniculate arteries supplying the knee. Through embolization, this initiative decelerates the progression of osteoarthritis in a manner that avoids further damage, potentially eliminating the need for knee replacement surgery. Meanwhile, in urological care, the company’s micro invasive techniques focus on prostate gland treatments. In this process it embolizes arteries, reducing associated morbidity and mortality, and minimizing lifestyle changes for patients.

Another area where the company has achieved remarkable progress is delivering localized high-activity radiation to the liver, known as thermosphere-associated treatment in the oncological realm. This intervention significantly extends the life expectancy of patients with metastatic liver disease. Its focus on microthermal ablation and cryoablation has transformed the landscape of oncological care by treating tumors without resorting to open surgeries on vital organs like the lungs, liver, and kidney.

At the heart of all these high-tech imaging techniques is Vancouver Imaging’s deeply ingrained philosophy, ‘no patient is left behind,’ clearly manifested in its focus on providing sub-specialty Radiological care to patients regardless of location or background. Such an approach is not only lifesaving but crucial in enhancing patient mobility and recovery.