On Monday, March 20th, the first patient was scanned on the new CT scanner at the Kincardine hospital.
Beryl Davies of Kincardine was the first patient scanned.
For Beryl, having a CT scanner in Kincardine means not having to rely on family members to take time off work to drive her to an appointment outside of Kincardine and, instead, having this important test performed at her home hospital.
“The Kincardine physicians are thrilled to have the CT scanner operational,” says Dr. Lisa Roth, SBGHC Chief of Staff. “This will have an incredible impact on patient care for the Kincardine community and surrounding area.”
The Siemens “X.Cite” CT scanner was delivered to the Kincardine hospital on Monday, February 27th from the Siemens production facility in Germany, and has now been commissioned in the 2,000 square foot addition to the hospital that is located directly south of the main entrance.
To operate the scanner, a number of SBGHC’s Medical Radiation Technologists (MRTs) have completed in-person training at the Walkerton site, and also virtual training on the scanner at the Kincardine hospital. For the next eight weeks, hands-on training will continue, and utilization of the Kincardine scanner will gradually increase over this period as the ability to complete complex CT exams increases.
During this phased period, the Walkerton CT department will continue accepting urgent requests, supporting the team to build expertise. Funding for this project has been generously provided by the Kincardine and Community Health Care Foundation and the Government of Ontario, as well as a $1 million contribution from Bruce Power.
