Hospital to begin X-Ray upgrades this Fall
The Deep River and District Hospital is thrilled to announce that we have signed a contract with Carestream (formerly Eastman Kodak) for our new digital general radiography (X-ray) equipment. This state-of-the-art equipment will provide many new benefits including higher quality images. The purchase of this equipment is the result of ongoing fundraising efforts by the Hospital Foundation’s Focused on You campaign. The new portable X-ray unit and new general X-ray room are the first improvements under the Focused on You Campaign. Further infrastructure upgrades and replacement of the ultrasound equipment will follow next year.
The new machine requires a complete renovation of the current X-ray room. The project will begin in the fall and is anticipated to be completed in early 2020. The renovation involves improvements to the X-ray room and includes upgraded lead lining to meet current regulations, plus added elements to the infrastructure such as HVAC and electrical components.
Charge Medical Radiation Technologist Pierre Turenne was involved in the equipment selection and says, “[he is] excited about the new Diagnostic Imaging suite. Along with higher-quality images, the addition of mobile detectors allows for reduced radiation doses and for images to be taken portably, even when a patient is confined to a wheelchair or on a stretcher. One key element of this new technology is greater patient safety. The technologist will no longer have to leave patients alone while going to develop images. With automation, the machine can move itself into specified positions at the press of a button. Besides being ergonomically easier for patients, there is a tremendous benefit to staff in removing the repetitive strain of constantly re-positioning the x-ray equipment manually, as they did previously”.
Fundraising for the equipment is being accomplished through the Foundation’s Focused on You campaign. Leo Buckley, Chair of the DRDH Foundation, expressed that, “the Catch the Ace lottery has been very successful in helping us to meet this organizational need. In addition, donors have been very supportive of this initiative. A fund-matching campaign was implemented earlier this summer with very positive results. With the public’s continued support, we plan to raise all the funds by early 2020. We look forward to continuing this campaign so that we support the other required upgrades”.
DRDH CEO Richard Bedard stated that, “the upgraded equipment exemplifies our organization’s ongoing commitment to quality patient care. The new X-ray machine and portable unit provide tangible improvements to the quality and safety of our diagnostics through improved technology". He added that, “the overall effort from fundraising to implementation shows what is possible when a community comes together”.
"My heartfelt thanks goes to our Foundation, the leadership team, our Diagnostic Imaging staff, as well as our community for making this dream a reality" says Dick Rabishaw, DRDH Board Chair. "We are very proud of our partnership with the Foundation and we look forward to this new equipment so that we may serve our community for years to come".
