LANCASTER, NH, October 8, 2025 — Weeks Medical Center (WMC), a proud affiliate of North Country Healthcare (NCH), is pleased to announce the installation of a new Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) unit from MGC Diagnostics. Further enhancing the hospital’s long-standing commitment to high-quality respiratory care in the North Country, the recently implemented unit is the same model which serves patients at fellow NCH affiliate Androscoggin Valley Hospital (AVH), in Berlin. By having the same units at both hospitals, both AVH and WMC can help ensure high quality and integrated healthcare as well as a greater consistency and the opportunity for expanded collaboration.
Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) are essential diagnostic tools that evaluate how well the lungs are working. These tests measure how much air a patient can inhale and exhale, how efficiently oxygen is transferred from the lungs to the blood, and how the lungs respond to physical activity. PFTs play a vital role in diagnosing conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other respiratory disorders.
“Having the same PFT system and software at both Weeks and AVH creates several operational efficiencies and other benefits,” commented Scott Baxter, MA, MSOT/L, Director, Rehabilitation Services and Respiratory Care Services, Weeks Medical Center. “Not the least of which is the ability for Respiratory Therapists to work seamlessly between the two hospitals, as needed.”
The newly installed Platinum Elite™ Body Plethysmograph is a state-of-the-art, compact testing system designed for patient comfort and comprehensive lung function analysis. It will help ensure that patients throughout the region have access to consistent, high-quality pulmonary diagnostics.
Patients may be referred for PFT testing by their Primary Care Provider or a Pulmonologist. For more information about PFT services at Weeks Medical Center, please contact (603) 788-5053.
