Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Monumental.
That was the word used to describe the ribbon cutting of the brand new Revolution EVO CT scanner at Lennox and Addington County General Hospital on Tuesday.
“It has been a long road, following some excellent vision by the leaders of our hospital,” said Dr. Annette Polanski, medical director of the LACGH diagnostic imaging department. “On the medical side, Dr. (Kim) Morrison, on the administrative side Mr. (Wayne) Coveyduck (LACGH’s CEO), and certainly supported very well by our community and our board.”
Talk of acquiring a CT scan has been active for over a decade, with efforts really picking up in the last five years. Once the money was raised, it was another 18 months to get the final ministry approvals to get to Tuesday, when the diagnostic imaging department at LACGH accepted the first CT scan patient.
The state of the art device is able to scan patients of all shapes and sizes, with a table that can rise and lower to help those with limited mobility. A lift has also been installed in the room to further assist those who may need help getting onto the table. Polanski noted the machine contains the latest technology, which allows technicians to get the highest scanning quality with limited radiation exposure to patients.
Prior to acquiring the machine, patients were tasked with heading to Kingston or Belleville.
“We can literally scan head to toe,” said Polanski.
The machine will assist in early cancer detection, surveillance of known cancer patients, emergency trauma as well as a wide range of check-ups on internal organs.
Lorraine Rooney of Adolphustown had the distinction of being the first patient scanned with the machine.
“I usually have to go to Kingston to get this done,” said Rooney, who was in check for the presence of kidney stones. “It’s nice to know Napanee has one now.”
She says she did a double-take when she saw it was LACGH calling to schedule her scan and not Kingston.
“It’s going to help a lot of people, especially the elderly,” she said.
Poalnski said it’s not common for a hospital the size of Napanee to be able to afford this kind of technology, but noted the support of the community made it possible.
“I think it’s going to be a big win in the community in terms of local people receiving care close to home,” said Polanski.