MOULTRIE, Ga. — Colquitt Regional is announcing the launch of an important new clinically-proven cervical imaging system that gives physicians more objective information when screening for cervical cancer.

The Center for Women’s Health at Colquitt Regional is one of the first 100 medical practices in the nation and the first facility south of Macon with this state-of-the-art technology.

Each year more than 12,000 U.S. women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and over 4,000 will die, and the diagnostic procedure for identifying cervical cancer has not changed in decades – until now.

The Cervical Care Program at Colquitt Regional uses the DySIS Advanced Cervical Imaging System — which provides physicians a color-coded image of the acetowhitening effect that happens during colposcopy.

Colposcopy is a diagnostic exam in which physicians apply a solution on the cervix and use a magnifying scope to look for areas that may turn white (which may indicate abnormal cells).

A standard colposcopy uses simple visual observation and is subjective and technique-dependent.

The DySIS Advanced Cervical Imaging System quantifies colposcopy by capturing images and creating a color-coded map, highlighting the more intense acetowhitened areas. Physicians can then use a guided biopsy procedure to assist in identifying the best areas to biopsy.

“This is a real game-changer for physicians,” says Dr. Jim Small, an OB-GYN at the Center for Women’s Health. “This technology provides a more precise image allowing us to biopsy the exact location of the cervix most likely to have abnormal cells.”

The DySIS Advanced Cervical System is in use around the world and is FDA-cleared, ISO-compliant and is recommended as a standard of care in the United Kingdom.

“As a health system, we are committed to making sure our physicians and patients have the best technology available at their fingertips, said Colquitt Regional CEO Jim Matney. “In addition to the DySIS System, we recently added a 128-Slice CT Scanner in our radiology department, and we have other upgraded equipment that will be coming soon.”

The Center for Women’s Health at Colquitt Regional provides health care to women of all ages. Their medical staff consists of Dr. Jim Reed, Dr. Jim Small, Dr. Daniel York and Ginger Bennett, CNM, WHNP.

“We have a strong group of physicians at the Center for Women’s Health and the feedback that we are receiving from patients is very positive,” said Richard Bass, chairman of the Colquitt Regional Board of Trustees.

“I am proud of the care this team is providing and the future is very bright for women’s services at Colquitt Regional,” Bass said. “We have some exciting news that we will be sharing in the New Year.”

Colquitt Regional is a 151-bed medical center that completed an extensive expansion and renovation in 2014. A Radiology Unit expansion was unveiled this past fall and now includes a 128-slice CT Scanner, one of only three in the State of Georgia. The hospital recently received their 5th consecutive “A” Hospital Safety Score from the Leapfrog Group, a national patient safety watchdog, naming them as one of the safest hospitals in the Nation.