KINCARDINE – On Monday, March 20, the first patient was scanned on the new CT scanner at the Kincardine site of South Bruce Grey Health Centre.
Beryl Davies of Kincardine was the first patient scanned. 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,” said 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, Feb. 27 from the production facility in Germany, and has now been commissioned in the 2,000 square-foot addition to the hospital, directly south of the main entrance.
To operate the scanner, a number of SBGHC’s medical radiation technologists 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 as the ability to complete complex CT exams increases. During this phased period, the Walkerton CT department will continue accepting urgent requests.
Funding for this project has been provided by the Kincardine and Community Health Care Foundation and the Government of Ontario, as well as a $1 million contribution from Bruce Power.
