“Kelowna General Hospital is striving to provide the complex and advanced care patients normally need to travel to Vancouver or Calgary to receive. To fully support the care needs of these patients, advanced equipment such as the 3T MRI, are needed to provide high quality imaging in an efficient manner.”
Shelby Bichel, Director of Medical Imaging Operations, Central Okanagan
WHY GIVE?
The acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment and advanced technology as well as the investment in site renovations will help us continue to bring specialized health care closer to home. This will result in reduced waitlists and the elimination of the need for patients to travel to large city centres for care.
Ensuring access to the latest equipment and technology is not just about modernizing; it’s about enhancing the precision of diagnoses which leads to more effective treatments and higher standard of patient care delivery. It also opens avenues for continuous training for health care professionals, ensuring they stay current with the latest medical advancements. This, in turn, enhances our ability to attract and retain top health care talent for our tertiary hospital.
HOW YOUR GIFT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT
World-class care, right here at KGH
The KGH Foundation is committed to raising funds to enhance clinical and surgical excellence at our hospital. Our goal is to acquire state-of-the-art equipment and technology, elevating the standard of patient care in our community. This includes the acquisition of a 3T MRI.
"Beyond providing better care for patients closer to home, the technology and innovative solutions we provide here at KGH will help bring more talent and expertise to our community."
Dr. Aleksander Tkach, Medical Director, Interior Health Stroke Network and EVT Service
THE FUTURE OF CARE
3T MRI: The Gold Standard of Diagnostic Imaging
From acute injuries to unexplained symptoms, pain, lumps and bumps, the answers to so many questions can be found deep in the body. Medical imaging is the vital link between a patient’s symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. As part of our commitment to clinical and surgical excellence, we are raising funds to support the acquisition of the interior’s first 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (3T MRI) machine.
A 3T MRI machine delivers twice the magnetic strength of a standard 1.5T MRI giving radiologists the highest quality images possible with superior clarity and detail. Because the image quality of an MRI depends on signal and field strength, having double the signal strength allows a 3T MRI scan to be completed in up to half the time or with up to twice the detail. As such, the imaging speed of the 3T will increase capacity at KGH, reduce waitlists and dramatically impact diagnosis and treatment for patients.
With the population in the Okanagan and interior region continuously growing and aging, expanding the MRI capacity at KGH is critical to ensuring people get the care they need, right here at home.
Clearer Images
Complex anatomies like the brain, and small parts of the body, like hands, wrists, feet and joints, are rendered with much more clarity and detail.
Faster Scans & Improved Comfort
A 3T MRI scans 2-3x faster, is significantly quieter, and allows for significant improvements in comfort (eliminates the need for an endo-rectal probe for prostate cancer and reduces the time cardiac patients are required to hold their breath).
More Accurate Diagnosis
3T MRI is especially superior in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological issues, brain tumours, strokes, aneurysms, abscesses, multiple sclerosis, prostate cancer and other conditions.
“The 3T MRI will help more than double our capacity, meaning people aren’t going to need to travel hundreds of kilometres to get a scan. In addition to being faster and producing incredibly detailed images, the 3T MRI will help us accommodate many different sizes of patients, helping to improve comfort and reduce the claustrophobia that some patients feel.”
Dr. Brenda Farnquist, Medical Director and Chief Radiologist
ADDITIONAL PRIORITIES
The Cardiac and Physiological Monitoring System allows for close observation of heart rate, blood pressure and oxygenation status for high acuity patients. As the KGH Emergency Department (ED) sees an average of 260 patients per day, an upgrade to the current 12-year-old system and expansion to additional zones is imperative. The projected impact of the new system will decrease patient wait times for monitored beds within the ED, lead to higher quality patient care, and enhance staff satisfaction and retention.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
A gift to support innovation offers the benefit of unlocking a matching contribution from the Jim Pattison Foundation to support the Centre for Health System Learning & Innovation which will hold an important role in advancing this work.
Help us bring innovative solutions to health care in the Southern Interior and double your impact today.
This Centre, in partnership with Interior Health and the KGH Foundation, promises to revolutionize the landscape of health care innovation in BC’s interior.
It is the first of its kind with a unique focus on rural, remote, Indigenous, and community health care. It aims to be a virtual network connecting innovators, clinical teams, researchers, patients and families, and community partners. Together, we will create research-based solutions that tackle the diverse and complex health care challenges facing our communities.
CLINICAL & SURGICAL EXCELLENCE
Latest Stories
Closer to the Heart
Explore the impact of KGH’s simulation training, where clinicians refine their skills to provide world-class care, right here at home.
3T MRI: Bring it Home
From acute injuries to unexplained symptoms, pain, lumps and bumps, the answers to so many questions can be found deep in the body.
Day of Giving 2023 Results
The seventh annual KGH Day of Giving raised just shy of $800K for a 3T MRI at Kelowna General Hospital. Thank you for your support!
