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Donations for new CT scanner at Vernon hospital doubled on Giving Tuesday

VJH has an urgent need for a second CT scanner, Galbraith Foundation gives big today
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The Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation is looking to raise the remaining $900,000 needed for an urgently needed second CT scanner. (Submitted photo)

Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH) is in critical need of a new CT scanner, and on Giving Tuesday, fundraising efforts will be doubled.

The VJH Foundation is raising funds to double the hospital’s CT scanner capacity for the growing North Okanagan community, and the Galbraith Foundation has stepped up to double the impact of donor support for today, Nov. 29.

VJH’s current scanner performs roughly 20,000 scans a year. That’s 40 per cent higher than the number of scans that would normally put a second CT scanner into action.

A second scanner is urgently needed. The average patient waited 68 days for a CT scan last year, despite the fact the scanner was running 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“I really think that this is a wonderful day, it’s before the end of the year, it’s before Christmas season gets going and it’s really paying attention to some of the non-profit organizations that support this community,” said Mr. Galbraith, a community philanthropist. “If you watch the news or read the papers, it’s clear we have got a pretty serious crisis going on and the better the hospital equipment and personnel are the better the service is going to be. I would really encourage everybody to support this drive knowing that it will shorten wait times for people getting imaging done.”

CT scans are ordered for a variety of reasons — to detect cancerous tumours, reveal internal injuries, diagnose heart disease and much more.

“An additional scanner means our team would be able to offer even better care to patients, when time may be of the essence,” said Dr. Adam Weathermon, department head of Medical Imaging at VJH. “This is what drives us every day — to provide the best health care to our community.”

With support from the community, VJH will expand its CT services so that everyone in the community can benefit from increased access, improved care and better outcomes.

Giving Tuesday is a global day of philanthropy that encourages people to consider giving to a charity of their choice. This year is the 10th anniversary of this global call to action.

Anyone wishing to donate on Giving Tuesday can visit vjhfoundation.org/giving-tuesday.

The VJH Foundation, a registered charity, works closely with Interior Health to help advance healthcare services in North Okanagan communities. They support the purchase of urgently needed equipment and patient care initiatives to help improve healthcare for people in the area.

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Brendan Shykora
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Brendan Shykora

About the Author: Brendan Shykora

I started as a carrier at the age of 8. In 2019 graduated from the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University.
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