Imaging Services

About our radiology center

We have created a professionally decorated environment that is both warm and relaxing, offering a private and tranquil setting for our patients. To enhance accessibility and convenience, we offer more parking options and a covered drop-off area.

Our facility is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including a large bore MRI with image quality superior to any other MRI in Southeast Idaho. We are also proud to have a 64-slice CT scanner that provides exceptional image quality, cardiac imaging capabilities, and bone mineral densitometry. No matter your diagnostic imaging needs, Portneuf’s radiologists are ready to meet them with compassion and expertise.

Our diagnostic imaging services

Using the latest technology, our medical imaging specialists provide the following diagnostic imaging services and radiology tests:

• CT scans: CT or CAT scans combine X-ray and computer technology to show detailed, 3D images of any part of the body, including bones, muscles, fat, organs and blood vessels. Scans can also be performed using a contrast solution to make tissues and vessels more visible.
• DEXA scans: A DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) scan is an imaging test that measures bone mineral density to assess bone strength and the risk of fractures. It uses low-dose X-rays to create detailed images of bones, typically focusing on the hip and spine. This test is commonly used to diagnose osteoporosis and other conditions that cause bone loss.
• Endoscopic ultrasounds: An endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive procedure that combines endoscopy and ultrasound to create detailed images of the digestive tract and nearby organs. During the procedure, a thin, flexible tube with an ultrasound device at the tip is inserted to capture images of the esophagus, stomach, intestines, and surrounding tissues. 
• Mammography: Mammograms are an X-ray scan of the breast used to screen for or diagnose breast cancer. We offer 3D mammography, or tomosynthesis, to obtain an even clearer view of your breast tissue and any potential abnormalities.
• Nuclear cardiology: Nuclear cardiology is a subspecialty of cardiology that uses radioactive substances and advanced imaging techniques to assess blood flow, heart function, and detect areas of damage or reduced blood supply.
• Nuclear medicine: Nuclear medicine is a specialized area of radiology that uses very small amounts of radioactive material (given orally or intravenously) to examine an organ’s structure and metabolic function.
• Positron emission tomography (PET) scan: This imaging test that helps reveal how your tissues and organs function using a radioactive tracer, which is injected into a vein to highlight areas of high metabolic activity. PET scans are particularly useful for detecting cancer, heart disease, and brain disorders by showing how well certain parts of the body are working.
• Ultrasound: Ultrasounds use reflected sound waves to create real-time mages of soft tissues, including muscles, blood vessels and organs. Although ultrasounds are commonly used to examine a fetus during pregnancy, they can also be used to discover abnormalities in organs and detect narrowed arteries, clotted veins, and growths like tumors and cysts.
• X-Rays: The X-ray works by passing a small amount of radiation through the body, which then strikes a sheet of sensitive film on the opposite side. This technology can reveal even the finest hairline fractures or chips. Additionally, post-treatment X-ray images help ensure that fractures are properly aligned and stabilized for healing.

We take pride in our ability to deliver quick and accurate results, often available to your physician on the same day or the next. Our excellent technologists are the same skilled professionals who have read your previous imaging studies, ensuring continuity in your care. Should you require further testing or other imaging services, our staff will work closely with you to ensure you receive exceptional care tailored to your needs.

To schedule a medical imaging test, please call 208-239-1500.

Interventional radiology

While interventional radiologists don’t consider themselves surgeons, they offer a variety of minimally invasive, image guided therapies as alternatives for conditions previously only treated through open surgery.

Within the field of interventional radiology are endovascular specialists, who repair blood vessels. When individuals have varicose veins or peripheral artery disease (damage to the blood vessels in the legs), this can cause non-healing ulcers. Interventional radiologists provide diagnoses and treatment to fix those vessels. Endovascular specialists use the arteries and veins of the body like a highway to access almost any place within the body, providing treatment to places otherwise difficult to reach with the use of ultrasound, CT scan, and X-rays.

Another common procedure an interventional radiologists performs is a biopsy. Historically, the only way to sample potentially cancerous tissue was through surgery. Today, almost all biopsies are performed using a needle guided by imaging. In addition to scheduled procedures, interventional radiologists are an important part of the trauma team at Portneuf. When a patient comes in with active internal bleeding, our interventional radiologists are called to assist in stopping the bleeding.

Our interventional radiologists provide treatments and procedures for a wide range of conditions, including:

• Aortic aneurysms
• Blood clots in the legs and lungs
• Dialysis fistula evaluation
• Infertility
• Leg pain, including varicose and spider veins
• Liver disease
• Osteoporosis and back pain
• Strokes
• Uterine fibroids

Our interventional radiologists use the most modern and least invasive techniques available to minimize risk to the patient and improve health outcomes. Our technology includes the use of balloons, catheters, microcatheters, stents, and therapeutic embolization. Portneuf’s Biplane Imaging Technology also provides highly detailed, three-dimensional images for superior diagnosis and treatment.

DEXA scans

DEXA scans are used to measure the bone mineral density and bone strength. Results from these tests provide your care team with helpful details about your risk for osteoporosis (bone loss) and fractures .The scan is the best method for monitoring changes in bone mineral density over time.

Risk factors for low bone mineral density include:

• Advanced age
• Cigarette smoking
• Excess alcohol intake
• Long-term glucocorticoid (steroid) therapy
• Low body weight (less than 58 kg [127 lb])
• Parental history of hip fracture
• Previous Fracture
• Race/ethnicity (higher risk in White than in Black, Hispanic, or Asian Americans)

DEXA scans are performed at Idaho Medical Imaging in Pocatello. Your primary care provider will discuss this recommended preventive service with you and order the scan. The radiology team at Idaho Medical Imaging will then call you to schedule the appointment. 

During the scan, you will lie on a padded table with a detector above and a radiograph tube below. The radiation exposure from a DEXA scan is very small, typically similar to daily background radiation and less than that of a standard X-ray.

For your convenience, we have centralized scheduling. Call 208-239-1500 to schedule.

Endoscopic ultrasounds

Advances in endoscopic technology have led to a variety of new and exciting applications. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is now the most accurate imaging technology for staging tumors of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. With traditional endoscopy, we were able to view the innermost lining of the digestive tract. However, with the addition of ultrasound technology, we can visualize internal organs and examine the esophageal and stomach linings as well as the walls of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract.

EUS offers a far less invasive approach to cancer staging. It allows for fine-needle aspiration capabilities, which has led to increased diagnostic accuracy in cancer staging. This less invasive option may eliminate the need for staging surgery and/or CT-guided biopsies. The ability to obtain tissue samples also allows us to further assess digestive and lung diseases.

EUS has also shown better accuracy in diagnosing pancreatic tumors than a CT scan. It provides a more comprehensive evaluation when a patient presents with common GI problems, like abdominal pain, by detecting small stones or debris in the bile duct that other imaging studies might miss. We can also find and biopsy abnormal lymph nodes close to the GI tract.

What to expect from an endoscopic ultrasound procedure

Under mild sedation, this outpatient procedure is very safe and takes about 20-40 minutes. During the procedure, a small, flexible ultrasound device is mounted on the tip of an endoscope—a small, lighted, flexible tube with a camera attached. When the endoscope enters the upper or lower digestive tract, we can see high-quality ultrasound images of organs, allowing us to determine the size and location of a tumor and whether it has spread to the lymph nodes, blood vessels, or other structures.

When it comes to your digestive system, we are experienced and expertly trained to care for you. Please feel free to schedule a consultation by calling 208-232-6616.

Imaging Services Locations