Groves Memorial Community Hospital (GMCH) held a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday for an addition that will house the new Computer Tomography (CT) scanner.
About 30 people gathered to watch the ceremony for the $3-million project, which includes a 1,500 square foot addition next to the existing diagnostic imaging area of the hospital, with close proximity to the emergency department.
“Thanks to the generous donations from our community we are able to begin construction on the new CT facility and move forward with plans,” said Janet Vallery, GMCH board chairman.
“Although we are still short of our $3-million goal, we want to have our facility ready to implement the new service as soon as possible following installation of the CT machine.”
Chief executive officer Jerome Quenneville said in an interview after the ceremony the fundraising team still needs to raise $1.6-million, but he is confident that will be accomplished.
Fundraiser Sherri Sutherland noted the campaign has been running just since September and has already raised the first $1.4-million. And the CT Plus campaign continues to actively raise funds for the scanner.
Sutherland said there are a number of fundraising events planned in the next few months in the community.
“The actual CT equipment will be purchased entirely through the generous support of many area residents and businesses,” stated Ted Ecclestone, the campaign’s chairman.
Dr. Rick Gergovich, a spokesman for the campaign, said, “Since last spring, GMCH has raised awareness about the significance of purchasing this important diagnostic imaging tool for the hospital. With CT scans available locally, patients will no longer have to travel to Guelph or other larger centres when CTs are required.”
He added, “This will allow quicker diagnosis and response, especially in emergency situations such as strokes or head injuries, where time is a critical factor in diagnosis and treatment.”
Quenneville said, “The CT scanner is “vitally important” to the hospital and the residents of Centre and North Wellington. A CT scanner at GMCH has the potential to not only save lives, but it is a critical tool in recruiting doctors to practice medicine in our communities.”
Computed Tomography (CT) is a painless, sophisticated X-ray procedure that takes multiple images, which are then integrated into cross-sectional pictures (slices) of soft tissue, bone, and blood vessels.
A CT scan obtains images of parts of the body that cannot be seen on a standard X-ray. Those scans can result in earlier diagnosis and intervention in many conditions involving the brain, chest, abdomen, and pelvis, to cite just a few applications.
Groves serves a local and regional population of over 32,000 and treats over 68,000 patients annually. Those wishing to donate to the campaign can call 519-843-2010 extension 268 or donate on-line at www.grovesfoundation.com.
