The Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation had a new, state-of-the-art, CT scanner in their sights when they launched their annual fundraising campaign in 2013. Fantastic response from donors has enabled the purchase and (soon-to-happen) installation of “The Force.” Installation date is set for the beginning of June (with the machine coming from Germany). However, SPH now has a mobile CT Scanner in place, and the excitement is starting to grow around the hospital!
With donations tallied many months ago, donors may wonder why it has taken so long? Karen Morgan, SPHF’s Executive Director, filled us in: “You don’t have enough space in the issue for the whole saga! The short version is that this machine was part of a group purchase (although it will be the first to be installed on the Island). It took some time to get that organized and the prices negotiated. Then it had to be approved by Shared Services BC, the provincial government’s purchasing authority for all of the health authorities in the province. While it was a long process, Dr. John Mathieson, the Head of Medical Imaging (Physician Services) is always conscious that he’s working with donor dollars and he worked hard to get the best machine for the best price.”
Saanich Peninsula residents will benefit from this brand new machine. It has better imaging and much lower radiation dosages than earlier machines. It will also allow more diagnostic tests (particularly cardiac) to be done at SPH. Karen: “Over the years, I’ve come to see that residents of the Saanich Peninsula feel a great sense of ownership of their hospital and support it so generously. It’s humbling, not just for the staff of the Foundation, but for the staff and doctors in the hospital. We all feel supported, encouraged and valued by the community. And we can’t say thank you enough.”
If you want to know what else is new and planned for SPH you’ll have to stay tuned! There are some surprises in store at the June 16 golf tournament, the October gala and at the wonderful community events held to support the hospital. You can always keep yourself updated on Facebook.
