Planning and designing a brand new state-of-the-art hospital, while simultaneously ensuring that the current one is maintaining the same outstanding care, is no easy feat. And yet CGMH is doing just that. In these unprecedented times, our team will be purchasing the newest technology in diagnostic imaging equipment for better, faster diagnosis, close to home, all while ensuring they are spending wisely and thinking about the future hospital.
It can seem hard to keep up with the advances in Diagnostic Imaging. Our standard of care has elevated. Our healthcare teams are seeing greater complexities in patients than ever before. With advanced imaging in our reach our teams are better equipped to diagnose and treat our patients, right here at CGMH.
Purchasing new technology and equipment comes with its own set of challenges. Covid-19 caused extraordinary delays and shortages. It also restricted site visits; in-person assessments that evaluate potential suppliers and their products. What’s more, the equipment is getting bigger and heavier, and in an aging, cramped facility like CGMH, a lot of planning must go into the engineering and construction to ensure operational efficiency and optimal patient flow.
Old, aging equipment means more downtime and delays in patient care. But, our community generously rose to the challenge to support the upgrades in our Diagnostic Imaging Department for better patient care, here in South Georgian Bay.
Digital X-Ray & Fluoroscopy Machine – more patient comfort, smoother experience
Whenever possible, the CGMH team looks to purchase equipment that can serve multiple purposes. Case in point, this new machine is another x-ray machine for CGMH, and it provides fluoroscopy imaging. Fluoroscopy is a type of medical imaging that shows a continuous X-ray image on a monitor, much like an X-ray movie. During a fluoroscopy procedure, an X-ray beam is passed through the body. The image is transmitted to a monitor so the movement of a body part or of an instrument or contrast agent (“X-ray dye”) through the body can be seen in detail.
The new fluoroscopy machine will be more robotic, which will allow the Medical Radiation Technologist to operate it with greater ease. It will be equipped with a patient lift allowing patients to be moved more comfortably from the stretcher onto the imaging table. “If a patient comes in with a hip fracture or stomach pain, it will be further exacerbated by any movement. These updates will make that transition much smoother for the patient” – Jamey Gilroy
C-Arm – Orthopedic Imaging
The new C-Arm provides our diagnostic imaging team with clearer and more detailed imaging, providing greater visibility to suit a range of surgical needs especially within our robust orthopedics program. The orthopedic surgeries require dynamic imaging to place hardware accurately and with precision. The c-arm imaging will empower surgical teams to adapt as changes occur and capture images rich with clarity and detail.
CT Scanner – Faster scanning and fast processing
Computed tomography, “CT scan”, is a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to produce images of the inside of the body. It shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, organs and blood vessels.
We are purchasing the, first of its kind in Canada, state-of-the-art machine with higher-resolution, higher-speed, lower-dose, and a patient-friendly design to maximize patient outcomes. The new machine will enable fast, safe, and efficient CT exams of all levels of complexity, while keeping the needs of our patients and busy hospital environments top of mind. Having access to more information to make a clear, confident diagnosis will enable CGMH patients to start the right treatment journey as quickly as possible.
Extensive planning is underway to house a temporary CT scanner in an onsite trailer during the renovation and installation of the new CT. In doing so our patients, hospital and community won’t see any disruption in our CT imaging services.
MRI Machine
MRI is a type of diagnostic test that can create detailed images of nearly every structure and organ inside the body. MRI uses magnets and radio waves to produce images on a computer. MRI does not use ionizing radiation. Images produced by an MRI scan can show the finer details of organs, bones, muscles and blood vessels.
The team at CGMH has purchased the new, first-ever MRI Machine that will offer exceptional image quality, efficiency, and speed, while providing patient-friendly design, for better care and ultimately better patient outcomes.
With limited space available, careful planning and consideration was taken by the CGMH team, and their architects and engineers, to choose the best location and use of space. So much goes into planning an MRI suite and the consultation of key stakeholders, including CGMH’s patient-family advisor, heavily guided the design process. Safety and restrictions (what can and cannot go into the room), staying connected to necessary life-saving equipment (ventilators and IVs), fire safety regulations, pre-screening to ensure you can safely use the machine, creating a calm space that reduces anxiety and more will all help ensure an optimal experience for both staff and patients.
Next steps: CGMH is working through the engineering and construction process to renovate and build the suite, a process they hope to have completed, with the MRI installed, by March 2025.
Thoughtfully planned for the needs of today, with tomorrow in mind.
Our team has worked strategically and efficiently to align the end of life of this equipment with the end of our current hospital. When we move into the new hospital, we will be investing in brand new equipment because it will be out of date and at the end of its useful lifespan. Technology changes rapidly. How we provide healthcare continues to evolve. Our team takes into consideration all of those factors, ensuring that donor dollars are spent wisely and as efficiently as possible.
“I am proud to use my knowledge as a patient to provide input into the planning process to enhance the patient experience at the hospital. I have provided feedback on processes and policies from a patient perspective, most notably on the Diagnostic Imaging department as CGMH plans for several new projects including a much awaited MRI machine. I am confident that as they attract more former patients to these roles that the patient experience at CGMH will be among the best in the province.”
Linda Gibson, CGMH’s Patient Family Advisor
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