Staff
A new CT scanner is being installed at the Owen Sound Hospital, thanks to generous donations to the Hospital Campaign and The Dock radio station’s ongoing fundraising initiative – Radio for Radiology.
Renovations required to install the new scanner will take approximately eight weeks and the scanner will be in use by early July. The total cost of the project is approximately $1.2 million.
“We couldn’t do this without the generous support from our donors and the hard work of the five foundations that are leading the Hospital Campaign,” said Lance Thurston, President and CEO of Grey Bruce Health Services. “This new CT scanner will improve our ability to detect illnesses and allow us to offer coronary artery and cardiac CTs, which are new services for patients in this area.”
Other benefits of the new technology include faster scanning times and lower radiation exposure for patients and staff.
For many serious health problems a CT scan is the first step toward diagnosis and treatment. It uses X-rays and a computer to create detailed images of the inside of the body. The current CT scanner is eleven years old and nearing the end of its lifespan. It is used 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and close to 11,000 scans are performed annually for patients throughout Grey Bruce.
A temporary mobile scanner arrived on May 5, to ensure that services will continue during the renovation. The mobile unit is located just outside the Emergency Department at the Owen Sound Hospital. CT scan patients will continue to register as usual and will be directed to the mobile scanner by hospital staff.
The mobile CT scanner will ensure patients continue to get the care they need and that wait times will not increase during the renovation and installation. This mobile unit was recently used at Trillium Hospital during installation of their new CT.
