Thanks to our donors, patients at Red Deer Hospital who need CT and MRI scans will soon have shorter wait times.

 

In some cases, a contrast material needs to be injected to make specific organs, blood vessels, or types of tissue (such as tumours) more visible in a scan. Doctors need to know that this injection is safe for patients, so lab tests are carried out to make sure the patient’s kidneys are functioning well.

 

The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation has authorized funds to purchase an i-STAT Alinity Analyzer for over $10,000. Instead of requiring a full blood draw to be analyzed in a different department, which sometimes involves substantial wait times, this equipment allows these tests to be performed at a patient’s bedside with quick results.

 

Speaking with Radiologist Dr. Alyzée Sibtain, we learned how much impact this equipment will have on patients.

 

 “We have patients who come to our department with appointments and patients who come from within the hospital, including those from the Emergency Department. Emergency patients will get priority over a booked outpatient, so that booked outpatient might have to sit there and wait.

 

“Crowded hallways come with their own risks. Unwell patients need to be scanned, often urgently, and healthy outpatients need to be scanned and go on with the rest of their day. They may have taken the time off from their job or had to get childcare to come in, so we need to get them back to their day-to-day life after their scan.

 

“This equipment helps get the patients through quicker and increase the efficiency of the Diagnostic Imaging Department.”

 

Once again, thank you to our amazing donors for helping to enhance patient care at our hospital!