A new state-of-the-art digital mammography unit is now servicing patients at Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg.
The GE Healthcare Senographe Pristina mammography unit was delivered to the hospital’s Clay and Elaine Elliott Women’s Health Centre in late June and is already in use.
The unit was funded by the NHH Foundation through the Equipped to Care program. In 2002 the foundation set a fundraising goal of $12 million by 2020 to support high-priority capital equipment purchases in the diagnostic imaging department.
“To date, we have raised 85 per cent of our goal — $10.2 million in leadership gifts and community support,” stated Tyler Hathway, chairman of the NHH Foundation’s board of directors.
“It’s so rewarding to see donations immediately put into action and begin serving the patients who turn to our hospital for their care.”
The $475,000 unit was raised through donors and events such as Northumberland’s Biggest Coffee Morning in 2017 which raised more than $50,000 alone. Other events included Betsy Miller’s art exhibition and sale which raised more than $3,000.
“It truly is a community effort that has come to fruition,” said Hathway.
Among the services in the Women’s Health Centre include bone density testing, ultrasound, needle biopsy and mammography.
“We are so grateful to the community for funding this new mammography unit and technology,” said Wendy Scott, senior mammography technologist.
“Early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases in women is our top priority and this new unit will allow us to continue to provide diagnostic accuracy.”
The hospital says from April 2017 to March 31, more than 6,100 mammograms were performed. The mammography program is accredited by the Canadian Association of Radiologists — considered the “gold standard” for mammography, the hospital says.
“It is this commitment to women’s imaging that has generated so much interest from accomplished sub-specialty radiologists in this area,” said Dr. Matthew Vaughan, chief of radiology.