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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-12-30, Page 11Health Watch 2009 The orphan patient list for God- erich and area was replaced in July in favour of a specialized tool aimed at matching patients to area doctors. According to the records at the MaitlandValley Medical Clinic (MVMC) as of July 15, 2,100 area patients remain without a family physician. The pro- cess of matching patients with available practitioners locally has been improved thanks to a program launched in Febru- ary called Health Care Connect (HCC). Since hooking up with the HCC, God- erich saw an almost 90 per cent success rate matching patients to physicians, as reported in November. CT Scanner And in '09, all systems were 'go' in the ongoing pursuit of a CT Scanner for Huron County. Work on the $1.7 million addition. that will soon house Huron's first CT Scan- ner is moving right along, and the an- ticipated equipment is set to arrive early in 2010. At present, the CT Scanner is sched- uled to arrive mid-March, at which point work to ready the digital imaging equip- ment for use will begin. In all, staff say they hope to have the scanner live at the beginning of May. Huron is the only county without its own CT Scanner. At any given time, it's estimated that there are approximately 1,800 county residents waiting to have a CT scan performed at medical facili- ties in surrounding areas like Walkerton, Stratford, Owen Sound and London. This was all set to change in early 2007 when the AMGH Hospital Founda- tion launched the CT Scanner for Huron County campaign. With a commitment of raising $5 .million toward the pur- chase of the scanner, Picture Archiving Communication System ,(PACS) and necessary renovations, the foundation and community came together, and in just over two years, the goal was met. In August of 2007, Minister of Health and Long Term Care, George Smither- man .announced during a visit to the county that AMGH had been granted provincial approval to operate the imag- ing equipment. In July of 2008, it was announced that the AMGH Board of Directors awarded a $1.7 million construction and renova- tion contract to Melloul-Blamey Con- struction Inc. The cost combined actual costs, architectural fees PACS connec- tions a1d furnishings. As 2008 wrapped up, the hospital officially awarded a con- tract to Siemens Canada to supply a new 128- slice CT Scanner and Fluoroscopy and general X-ray equipment. The CT scanner will handle approxi- mately 3,000 to 6,000 patients annually as referring physicians begin using the equipment. The scanner will also help in physician recruitment to the area by providing recent graduates with the di- agnostic tools they use routinely. Keeping Abreast oinciding with national breast cancer awareness month, the Alexandra Marine and Gen- eral Hospital (AMGH) Foundation has launched its latest capital campaign in 2009. The three-year Keeping Abreast Campaign kicked -off around the com- munity in October, aiming to raise $550,000 toward digital mammography equipment that will bring AMGH up- to-date with the latest in breast cancer screening. "It's the gold -standard in screening," said foundation executive director Heather Glenister. The Keeping Abreast Campaign has been designed to address two purposes. The first, said Glenister, is to help keep AMGH abreast with the newest breast cancer screen- ing technology available. The second, to keep area women abreast of breast health. The campaign aims to bring in full -field digital mammography equip- ment that enhances both the quality of its slides, as well as the delivery. Construction crews have been busy getting the new Goderich Town Hall ready for business in the New Year. The municipal hub should be fully operational by the end of January. Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, December 30, 2009 - Page 11 PO °'^rte'-....�Oe'.r".�..i.•w..., a"-..- 1,m• ".+�+.r".'.r+...w.wCE_Fonfignicdon pnocess wide —3 OWINIV LUBE - OIL - FILTER All Gas Powered Cars and Light Trucks $3 300 Plus Tax Includes: EHE (Environmental handling charge), up to 5L of oil, Fluid Top Ups, Exterior Car Wash. No Disposal Fees. -Shuttle Service, McGEE Motors Ltd. Your Full Line GM Dealer 180 Suncoast Drive E. 519-524-8391 ('� 1 N. f' ; f �I •r, ' { j Decorative and Functional Ironwork Featuring Unique, Custom Made - Railings* Gates* Furniture' Garden Accessories HAVE YOUR OWN IDEAS MADE INTO REALITY! Strong, Flexible and Enduring Steel For your Home/Cottage/Business/Garden Visit our website at www.workingiron.ca 36854 DUNGANNON RD., 54 DUNGANNON 529-3434 IiERkH Canada's prettiest town TICE e to the Holidays therewill be a Special Recycling Pickup for Area 2 (Usual Friday Pickup) on Sat., January 2, 2010 PLEASE ALSO NOTE Waste Collection for Area 2 will be on Dec 23rd and 30th REGULAR SCHEDULE WILL RESUME JANUARY 84A0 R 175 LAB Great For Addressing, Announcetns, Property Identification and Name `Tls Many Styles To Choose From.