This Christmas, Collingwood General and Marine Hospital is wishing for a new nuclear imaging camera for the diagnostics department.
That’s why the hospital foundation has made a new camera the focus of this year’s Tree of Life campaign.
The annual campaign regularly raises nearly $1 million for a hospital capital project.
This year, the goal is to raise $850,000 for a nuclear camera for the hospital’s diagnostic imaging department.
The current camera is approximately 12 years old, and the manufacturer stopped making replacement parts for it.
A nuclear medicine camera can perform bone scans for orthopaedic patients, heart imaging for cadiology patients, sentinal node imaging in support of cancer patients, and whole body scans as a workup tool in cancer staging and follow-up.
Jesse Dees, development officer for the hospital foundation, said in working on this year’s campaign, she learned there are 1,000 patients a year who require the nuclear medicine camera at Collingwood General and Marine Hospital. The hospital’s diagnostic imaging department sees 60,000 patients a year.
With newer technology, there will be capacity for 30 per cent more patients to have access to the nuclear camera. The scans will also be higher quality.
WIthout the updated technology, patients would have to go to other hospitals outside the area to get the required imaging for a proper diagnosis.
The Tree of Life campaign regularly attracts about 2,000 donors. Last year, the campaign raised funds for a renovation of patient rooms, which included new technology for better sanitization and surfaces that eliminate or reduce the risk of cross-contamination of diseases.
Prior to that, the campaign raised funds for a renovation of the emergency department.
“These projects have a big impact on what frontline staff can do and how they can care for their patients,” said Dees.
Dees has seen five Tree of Life campaigns since she started working for the hospital foundation.
“I could not believe how many people have essentially made [donating to the Tree of Life Campaign] their end-of-year tradition,” said Dees. “People here really stand by their hospital.”
While the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital is slated for redevelopment, and hospital staff has re-submitted a re-vamped Stage 1 application to the province, there are still upgrades needed at the current facility.
Dees said she could see the Tree of Life campaign one day raising funds for a new hospital, but for now it will be raising money for projects or items that will help staff continue to innovate and provide the best patient care.
To learn more about the Tree of Life campaign or to donate toward the nuclear camera goal, click here.
