Representatives of the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation have hit the million dollar mark in their current quest to support the highest quality health care on the North Shore.
The foundation's latest goal is to raise $2.5 million to replace the hospital's current CT (Computed Tomography) scanner, which is in year seven of its projected eight-year lifespan.
"The CT is the backbone of the hospital," says Dr.
Simon Bicknell, head of diagnostic imaging at Lions Gate Hospital. "We need that CT scanner functioning for all emergency care work and we need it for our inpatients and we need it for our out-patients. I cannot over-emphasize that."
The scanner, which serves patients of all ages, performs 24,000 scans annually, more than the regional average of 14,000. A new scanner is hoped to improve efficiency as newer machines are faster in getting patients in and out, thereby increasing the number of patients that can be scanned per day.
"The newer generation scanners.. .. dramatically reduce the radiation dose that each patient gets.. .. The newer CTs also provide robust algorithms that allow us to see smaller things in the body, such as little blood vessels, most notably the coronary arteries, in a very reliable way," says Bicknell.
Upcoming fundraisers for the campaign include a car wash and bake sale, Saturday, April 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Real Canadian Superstore Gas Bar in North Vancouver. The event is being organized by the 15 members of the foundation's youth advisory committee. The cost of a wash is a minimum donation of $10.
The annual Lions Gate Hospital Foundation Gala is being held May 9 at Capilano Golf and Country Club, and its Golf Classic is set for June 16, also at the West Vancouver club.
lghfoundation.com
