Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Lennox and Addington County General Hospital’s MRI campaign is well underway, with a long-term goal of raising $3.5 million.
Riding the momentum of their biggest 50/50 draw to date-with $13,700 raised-the LACGH Foundation is hoping Giving Tuesday will spur more donations as they climb closer to their ultimate goal.
“It was announced in January of this year that the Lennox and Addington County General Hospital would be receiving our first MRI,” said Amanda Chalk, coordinator of communications, events and major gifts for the LACGH Foundation. “The process was that the province was going to offer funding for operations and then we just had to pay for the machine and any construction costs related to it. The Foundation is currently in a campaign for $3.5 million to raise the funds for the MRI machine as well as the construction for the area that it’s going in.”
A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine has long been a want for local physicians in the Napanee area. When the province announced it would be accepting applications for operational hours of a new MRI, LACGH successfully applied, making it the smallest community in Ontario to receive the grant.
Construction is already underway for the site of the MRI machine, which will be next door to the hospital in the former Lenadco building. Currently the project is on target to see its patient in March 2024. Once operational, the machine will be used primarily for ‘priority four’ scans, which typically involve scans of joints such as the shoulder or knee. Its estimated LACGH will serve up to 7,000 MRI patients a year.
The MRI machine will be the latest piece of puzzle in the Foundation’s goal of keeping healthcare close to home.
“This machine runs 24 hours a day,” said Chalk. “You get that call at midnight that says you can get in, you’re not driving to downtown Kingston, Belleville or Brockville, who knows you could be going anywhere. It’s nice to have it right here.”
Additionally it will relieve some of the pressure on neighbouring hospitals as well.
Donations to the campaign can be made by visiting www.lacghfoundation.com or by dropping a cheque off to 8 Richmond Park Dr. in Napanee. Tickets for their next 50/50 draw can also be purchased online, with the next draw set for Dec. 22.