Media Release

CT Replacement to Begin in North Battleford & Lloydminster

August 8th 2017

As posted by Prairie North Health Region at pnrha.ca - August 2, 2017

"North Battleford and Lloydminster will each have their new computed tomography (CT) scanners in place before the middle of November, and patients will see no interruption in local scanning services during the changeover.

Replacement of the scanner at Battlefords Union Hospital (BUH) begins Tuesday, August 8. Removal of the existing machine, renovations to the CT room to accommodate the new scanner, plus installation, calibration, testing, inspection and certification of the new equipment are expected to take six weeks.

The new CT scanner is to be in operation at BUH the week of September 18, delivering its first service to patients.

Replacement of the Lloydminster Hospital CT is to begin Monday September 24, following the same process. The new LH scanner is to be used for its first patients the week of November 5th.

“We are excited that both new units will be in place well before the end of this year,” said Cheryl Mitchell, Regional Director of Medical Imaging Services for Prairie North Health Region.

“The new 160-slice CT scanners will be a major improvement for patients and staff. The up-to-date technology will capture much more patient information than the current 16-slice units being replaced. This allows the procedures to be completed faster, with significantly less patient exposure to radiation. The quality of the images will be greatly improved,” added Mitchell.

Alternate arrangements are in place to ensure patients can continue to receive the CT services they need while the new machines are being installed. A mobile CT scanner will be on site at Battlefords Union and Lloydminster Hospitals respectively, for the six-week periods when replacement work is underway.

“We will use the mobile unit just as we do the stationary ones,” Mitchell explained. “We are very pleased that CT services for patients will be available as we transition to the new scanners.”

The mobile CT unit will be situated along the west side of BUH. Once its work in North Battleford is complete, the mobile unit will move to Lloydminster and will serve LH patients from the location previously used by the mobile MRI unit that formerly served the hospital.

Prairie North Health Region received government approval in November 2016 to replace the aging CT scanners in North Battleford and Lloydminster. Each scanner costs about $1.2 million dollars. The Saskatchewan government is providing half of that amount for each replacement, for a total of $1.2 million. The Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation has raised $600,000 for the BUH project, and the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation committed $600,000 for the LH project.

A combined total of 12,202 CT scans were performed in North Battleford and Lloydminster in 2016-17. CT services were first launched in North Battleford in October 2005 and Lloydminster in January 2006. Both original machines are nearing the end of their expected useful life.""

MEDIA:
For more information or to arrange interviews, contact:
Linda Lewis, PNHR Communications Officer 306-446-6625


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