Company Blog and News

Providence Imaging Center (PIC) is in the process of acquiring former Alaska Open Imaging (AOI) locations in Soldotna and Fairbanks. Services previously available at Alaska Open Imaging locations remain available to patients and providers. All offices will be closed Sept. 1-6 to ensure a successful transition.

Alaska Open Imaging is an established imaging business with locations in Anchorage, Wasilla, Soldotna and Fairbanks. Alaska Open Imaging offers a full array of imaging services, including PET, PET/CT, CT, MRI, mammogram, X-ray, ultrasound and bone density scanning.

Alaska Open Imaging has earned a reputation as an imaging service leader in Alaska with a focus on high-quality care and customer service. AOI was first in Alaska to offer PET, mainly used for cancer staging and evaluation.

We anticipate that PIC will continue to provide the excellence in imaging you’ve grown to expect. Established in 1986, PIC is known for bringing new imaging technology to Alaska, including the first PET-CT capable of delivering both functional and anatomical information in one scan. Our focus has been to provide both cutting-edge technology and compassionate care to the communities we serve.

Currently, we have locations in Anchorage and Eagle River and have been privileged to serve patients from all over Alaska. PIC has also had the opportunity to provide breast cancer screening to Alaskans, including those on the Kenai Peninsula, with our mobile mammography van.

In Soldotna, we are officially open for business as of 9/6/11, offering x-ray, CT or CAT scan, and open bore MRI at 35670 Kenai Spur Highway, Suite 104. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. To schedule an appointment or for further questions, please call 907-260-6501. In Fairbanks, to schedule an appointment or for further questions, please call 907-474-2002.

If you are a patient or provider seeking past medical records from Alaska Open Imaging, please contact them at 1-888-416-2980.

To providers in the Kenai Peninsula, and to former AOI patients, we say "welcome!" We look forward to serving you "close to home" with the medical imaging expertise you expect.

PIC is pleased to announce the recent purchase and installation of an upgrade to our PET-CT scanner. The upgrade enables us to use less dose for each patient and obtain more sensitive diagnostic images. The improvement has been in place since August 1, 2011.

Scanning PET patients requires the injection of a radioactive tracer isotope called FDG. It is created in Seattle specifically for PIC patients, based on the patients height, weight, and appointment time. According to Kate Hiemstra, PET-CT technologist, “[FDG] has a very short half life, degrading quickly. It takes quite a coordinated effort to ensure that commercial flights bring the dose in a timely manner. The radiopharmacist must then adjust the dose appropriately so the right amount is there for each patient.”

PIC anticipates the  upgrade will reduce appointment cancellations due to flight delays and the other dose limiting circumstances that affect scheduling. According to Laura McDonough, PIC’s executive director, “We’re excited for these changes as we continue to improve our imaging process to better help patients, while maintaining the same standard of excellence we’ve provided over the past five years.”

To learn more about these improvements, or to schedule an appointment, contact our PET-CT scheduler at (907) 212-3146. We are proud to be one of only two PET facilities in the state who are currently accredited by the American College of Radiology.