South Bruce Grey Health Centre is ready to submit the preliminary design development for the new CT Scanner for Kincardine hospital.
President and CEO Michael Barrett updated the community during a virtual meeting this week.
Barrett said, "in March 2021 we make our next submission to the Ministry of Health, which is stage three. In June, the project is expected to go to tender, and in the fall, the intent is to break ground with the CT suite addition."
The plans include a new addition, and improvements to the hospital entrance.
"We have to make some modifications to the front entrance of the hospital, put some new structural walls in and columns to ensure we can support the CT scanner," he said.
That work is expected to take approximately four months. Construction of the addition for the CT suite will begin later this year, and will be located against the east wall of the south wing of the existing hospital building, adjacent to the hospital entry.
Beginning February 2, the main entrance to the hospital will be temporarily relocated to the west side of the building. A temporary screening station and Patient Registration office have been set-up inside this entrance, and a patient drop-off zone and five reserved parking spots for persons with limited mobility will be available.
“Several options for the temporary entrance location were evaluated. Unfortunately, there is no ideal location, so the option with the least amount of barriers was chosen,” explains Drew Braithwaite, Vice President of Corporate Services. “We recognize that this project will cause a disruption for patients and staff, however, the end result, a CT scanner for the Kincardine community, is exciting. We appreciate your patience as we complete this important work.”
Barrett says they have selected the $1.6 million Siemens Edge Plus model just released last year. It's 1.2 million cheaper than the next higher priced model.
During a virtual community update this week, Kincardine Radiologist Dr. Robert Mowbray explained the Drive model has two tubes and two generators
"It will produce more power. It will go faster. And in some instances those things will lead to better images. But that is primarily I would say in cardiac imaging," he explained.
He added, "Getting the Drive (model) does give you some protection for the future, but as far as imaging now, and for the next several years, there will be no clinical difference."
He summarized, "there is no clinical difference in the quality of the general CT scanning capabilities of the Edge Plus versus the Drive. The Drive does better Dual Energy and better cardiac, and in the future this may be consideration for upgrade as noted in my recommendations but the differences for general scanning right now are infinitesimal."
Kincardine Mayor Anne Eadie stressed she would prefer the Drive model which has the latest technology.
"The model that we understand from listening that is the best model to serve our growing community now, but more importantly longer into the future," She said.
Dr. Gary Gurbin says most doctors in Kincardine also feel the more up to date Drive model is the best choice to invest in the future. Many participants in the meeting stressed they prefer the Drive model.
Patients who need unusual or cardiac imaging can be sent to the Walkerton site which has a Drive model CT scanner. Kincardine has the highest demand for CT scans from Emergency Department visits and inpatients across the four sites of SBGHC.
The total number of CT scans completed at SBGHC Walkerton in 2019/20 was 4,515. Of that, 669 patients were from Kincardine.
