Staff
The Kiwanis Club of Meaford donated $5,000 to The Meaford Hospital Foundation last week in support of the MRI at the regional site in Owen Sound.
The current MRI system is used over 11,000 times annually, on patients from across Grey and Bruce, to diagnose a range of medical conditions. It is reaching the end of its life span and must be replaced. A new MRI system will be a major step forward in allowing this critical service to provide services right here, close to home.
Fourteen years ago, the first MRI was installed at The Owen Sound Regional Hospital, thanks to the generous support of people in the community. Since 2004, thousands of patients from Grey Bruce and beyond have received fast and accurate diagnoses, which means earlier and more specific treatment of a variety of medical conditions. Patient wait times are among the shortest in the region and imaging reports are often available within one hour – better than most provincial averages.
Unfortunately, the MRI has come to the end of its lifespan. While it was once state-of-the-art technology, spatial resolution on modern machines is far superior. Today it is on the oldest MRI’s currently operating in Canada, running 7 days a week and performing over 11,000 tests every day.
The Kiwanis Club decides for themselves what projects to support in their community, based on their own community’s needs and their members’ interests. Service to children is a primary focus in Kiwanis. In Meaford the Kiwanis are very involved in the community as well as owning and operating the Midas Mart that sells used clothing. Many wonderful volunteers work at The Midas Mart year round keeping it stocked and open to residents of the area.
“Through the generosity of caring donors, the Meaford Hospital Foundation raises and manages funds for new and replacement medical equipment at the Meaford Hospital and the Owen Sound Hospital. The Foundation strives to provide better healthcare for patients and subsequently state of the art equipment for our local healthcare professionals. With the government providing fewer funds, we count on your generous financial support. It is critical in keeping our local hospital’s viability and our local healthcare close to home,” said the foundation.
Photo: L to R Jen Wright (Meaford Hospital Foundation) Helen Hume, Gord Breadner and Wayne Challis (Kiwanis Club)
