Access 2018 Campaign

In October 2015, the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital (HGH) Foundation launched a new major campaign called ACCESS 2018: For our health and our future. The goal of this campaign was to raise $4 million to help provide the hospital with two pieces of state-of-the-art equipment, a CT scanner and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine.

Thanks to our generous donors, we can say MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! The new CT scanner has been in service since the fall of 2019. (Read the media release.) The new MRI has been available since the summer of 2020.

About medical imaging equipment

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services

MRI is a non-invasive and safe test that replaces procedures such as biopsies and exploratory surgeries. It is now the standard of care in Canada.

Patients are not exposed to radiation with MRI, and rarely need contrast materials or more invasive tests.
Having MRI services at HGH eliminates travel and reduces the wait times for treatment. Before the summer of 2020, the closest MRI was 100 km away.
MRI often reveals problems earlier than other tests. It is used to identify tumours, cancers, internal bleeding, muscle and joint injuries, strokes, diseases of the heart, lungs and blood vessels, and aneurysms.
We expect to do more than 5,000 MRI exams per year at HGH. We also expect demand for such exams to increase.

Computed tomography (CT) scan services

HGH’s new 128-slice CT scanner has been functional since the fall of 2019. In 2019, nearly 10,000 CT scans were performed at HGH and the need is growing.

For the more than 1,600 patients in HGH’s Emergency Department, the new scanner will be able to diagnose strokes, head and neck trauma, and internal trauma in a matter of minutes. This will save lives.
The new scanner will ensure more accurate and detailed medical imaging, with fast results to ensure quick diagnosis and treatment for HGH patients. It is the ‘gold standard’ in CT scanning.
This sophisticated equipment takes more pictures to provide a 3D cross-sectional image of the body. Greater detail means more accurate diagnosis, detecting smaller abnormalities and diseases, for example bone density, tumours, blood vessel condition, and inflamed, swollen or damaged organs.
CT scan can be used to map out a patient’s anatomy prior to surgery to provide further detail that will increase precision.
The new CT scanner allows us to share images with other hospitals when required for patient care.

Patient testimony

It took nine years of travelling back and forth to Ottawa for MRI scans before Johanne Ménard finally received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and Lupus. “Stress” is the word she uses most to describe the ordeal.

She had to be there half an hour in advance of the appointment time, which could be any time of day from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Rush hour traffic had to be taken into account as well as weather conditions, which sometimes meant going the night before in case of a snowstorm. Missing an appointment was not an option, since there was a six-month waiting list to get in.

And then there was the financial burden: gas, parking, meals, wear and tear on a vehicle, and having someone with her for comfort during the tests.

Johanne also knows the value of receiving care closer to home, having had surgeries at HGH, minutes from her home. Her experience was great. “I was treated with respect and I never felt like a number.”

This is what inspired her to join the HGH Foundation Board.

“I offered my help as a way to tell them thank you. I was so satisfied with everything they did for me. Even when I was scared, I was very confident. We are very lucky to have a good hospital here.”

For Johanne, new imaging equipment is a big plus – for patients, for the hospital and physicians, and for the community. “As a patient, having the equipment in Hawkesbury will change my life – it will be a relief. Travelling to have tests is awful and being sick is already stressful enough. It will be so good for all patients. It is not a luxury to have these machines at HGH – it is a must to serve our community.” – Johanne Ménard

We’re always happy to hear about the people and the community we serve. To share your story, please contact us.