PGRH To Catch The New Wave In CAT Scan

PRINCE GEORGE – The Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation announced Friday that it has agreed to enable Prince George Regional Hospital to be one of the first hospitals in the country to catch the new wave in Cat Scan technology.

The Foundation will share costs, with the provincial government, of a new basic Cat Scan unit for PGRH, and will fund, in its entirety the newly developed multi-slice technology, at a cost of about $520,000. The Foundation’s total bill will be close to $1 million, with the government’s share being almost $600,000.

Foundation President Diane Rogers was proud to make the announcement: "Our Foundation believes strongly that we must do all that is in our power to assist Prince George Regional Hospital in becoming a centre of excellence for healthcare in Northern B.C. We are extremely excited to assist in bringing this new Cat Scan to the North and in adding to the strength of PGRH’s medical imaging department."

PGRH Radiologist Dr. Al Leighton spoke glowingly of the capabilities of this new equipment:

"Multislice is the new wave of CT imaging. It will revolutionize CT scanning. It will increase speed and resolution, which will expand the usage and, for many procedures, will be much easier on the patients than existing diagnostic procedures.

"Emergency patients will have better, faster coverage. Sick patients will spend less time on the table and, in addition, receive a better quality scan. And other uses not previously possible, or practical, including detailed CT angiography, will now be possible.

"Multi-phase abdominal imaging, including liver tumors, will now be practical because of decreased time restrictions.

"It will be a vast improvement in so many ways. It will set a new standard for CT scans and we will be one of the first hospitals in Canada to have it."

The basic Cat Scan unit will be installed this spring, with the multi-slice options to be added in late 1999 or early 2000.

The Foundation will initially contribute gaming proceeds from its last Spirit of the North Lottery and will add net proceeds from the present Lottery. It will then make the Cat Scan one of its primary fund-raising goals for its 1999-2000 fiscal year.

MLA Lois Boone was thanked for providing the initial capital grant to PGRH and extended her congratulations to the Foundation for contributing the balance.

NIRHB CEO Dave Richardson and President Lorraine Grant spoke of the value of the government, hospital and tbe Foundation working together to better the health of the people they serve.

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