New CT scanner will benefit thousands
“Every day people come to the hospital to begin or continue their journeys of diagnosis, treatment or recovery. For so many it starts here,” says Steve Shannon, CEO of Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation.
This is why the Foundation is launching a new campaign. “We’re asking you to support the purchase of a new CT scanner for City Hospital. But it’s not just any CT scanner. Medical Imaging staff want the best CT scanner there is.”
The need for a new CT is urgent. Like so many departments at Saskatoon City Hospital, it’s busy, very busy.
“In 2022-2023, the CT scanner at SCH saw more than 15,000 individual patients,” says Richard Dagenais, executive director of Medical Imaging for the Saskatchewan Health Authority. “People from all across the province come to City Hospital for imaging.”
Because of this, the hospital’s CT scanner is nearing its end of life. Imaging staff say its likely expiration date is 2026.
Dagenais says the CT scanner is huge for cancer patients. It can detect cancers that may not be seen by other medical procedures. And it monitors how effective cancer treatments are.
The CT is vital to the hospital’s role in orthopedic surgery. “CT scans help surgeons plan complex procedures such as fracture repair, joint replacement and spinal surgery. Following procedures, scans let physicians know how accurate those surgeries were.”
The CT scanner is also crucial for identifying diabetes and post-stroke related disorders.
The new CT scanner will be unique in the province. It will use true dual source technology, taking and combining separate pictures to provide clear imaging.
“It’s a huge benefit for patients,” offers Shannon. “It’s faster so that makes it safer because of less exposure. It takes much clearer and better images that lead to the best treatment decisions possible.
“Your best imaging starts here and it starts with you.”