Groves Foundation

 
It was the end of a beautiful summer day when Lynn came to the Emergency Department. She had spent the day with her husband Neil and their three kids enjoying a picnic by the river. She complained of a headache, the worst one she’d ever had. Lynn was in severe pain and her husband had to answer some of the basic intake questions for her because she was confused and disoriented.

The ER doctor knew that Lynn was experiencing serious health issues, and after initial assessment, felt that she had bleeding into her brain. A very serious and time sensitive condition; every minute counted in Lynn’s diagnosis and access to treatment.

The doctor knew that Lynn needed an immediate CT scan. Groves does not have an on-site CT scanner so arrangements had to be made before a scan could be accessed. Approval for patient transfer had to be granted by the receiving hospital; a time slot reserved in their radiology department; an ambulance needed to be booked for the roundtrip transfer. Then there is   wait time for the radiologist to review the scan and communicate the report. All of this can take hours, and when a patient urgently needs a diagnosis so that lifesaving intervention can be provided, precious time is often lost.

Without a CT scanner, a hospital has difficulty attracting on site radiologists. Valuable time can be lost because the ER doctor, radiologist and neurosurgeon cannot dialogue as a team when they are in different locations; a CT scanner means the healthcare team can be involved with shortened wait times to communicate treatment options and lifesaving decisions.

Lynn was fortunate and is in good health now. But the need is still great. A CT scanner at Groves has the very real potential to save lives in our community. That’s why we need your support. Donor gifts make a tangible difference to the care that Groves will be able to provide to their patients through the purchase of a CT scanner. We can’t do it without you and we hope that you will partner with us in this lifesaving opportunity.