After one year in operation the CAT scanner has turned out to be all the medical community on the Coast hoped for and more. The great white machine is a diagnostic godsend to doctors practicing on the Sunshine Coast. And on Sept. 8 the hospital set a new record for most scans - 17 - in one day.
For Dr. Dan Dolden head of diagnostic imaging at St. Mary's Hospital the scan represents a way for local doctors to make diagnoses much quicker."We can handle patients here. It's a lot faster and a lot simpler and it saves a lot of money. There's no need of ambulances or helicopters (to transport patients to Vancouver). The doctors know immediately whether they can help the patient here or not," Dolden explained.
Prior to the CAT, patients would have to be transported off the Coast to a larger facility on the North Shore or in Vancouver to make an accurate assessment of their injuries or illnesses. And because the CAT is so fast there's no need to wait to assess the patient's medical condition to decide whether or not outside treatment is warranted."We don't have to watch them get sicker and sicker," he said.
And the other upside is the scanner makes treatment much more efficient. Patients no longer need extra ward time. The timely diagnosis often means the patient has no reason to stay in the hospital. "It's a huge difference in medical practice," Dolden said.
It's also a huge change for Dolden's department. The radiologist came to St. Mary's Hospital in 2002 from the Middle East. Prior to that he had been a radiologist in Vancouver for 17 years.
Dolden said the amazing support of the community in raising the funds for the CAT scan is a good sign for doctors thinking of coming to the Coast."There's confidence in the (medical) community when a community is able to supply something like this," he said.
And now Dolden said, the level of medical care is up to a standard one could expect anywhere.
"Not all outcomes are happy ones but it (the CAT scan) does provide state of the art service," he shared.
The 32-slice GE Lightspeed CAT scanner is a valuable tool for providing diagnostic information that ordinary X-rays are unable to. Head, chest and abdominal scans are particularly helpful. About 50 per cent of the tests require an injection of a special dye that helps Dolden to find blockages, tumours or aneurysms.
For instance, Dolden elaborated, the scanner will help the doctor to see if a liver cancer is a primary (meaning it began in the liver) or is from another site.
Dolden gave credit to the Hospital Foundation for helping to get additional training for staff. The extra funds allowed for more technicians to be trained. Right now there are three main technicians. By providing up-to-date technology Dolden said, the department employees are intellectually stimulated which makes for better morale overall.
Another huge plus for the department is the new extension the generosity of the citizens of the Sunshine Coast and the St. Mary's Hospital auxiliaries made possible. Right now it's the nicest part of the hospital. And the layout of the new wing has brought accolades from the accreditation people.
"We can hold our heads high in the radiology department," Dolden said.
