Bruce Power affirmed their five year commitment of $50,000 per year October 20 at the "Bring Tom to Town" launch event in Saugeen Shores. From left, Eric Chassard, Executive Vice President Projects and Engineering at Bruce Power; Gary Sims, CEO GBHS; Tracy Murray, Executive Director Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation. 

Hub Staff

The Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation (SMHF) is looking to purchase a CT scanner for the Southampton hospital and on October 20, 2021, officially launched a $3 million fundraising campaign in hopes of making it happen.

If successful, the "Bring Tom to Town" campaign would see the purchase of the Computed TOMography (CT) equipment and software as well as installation and renovations to the Saugeen Shores hospital to ensure safety and infection control requirements are met.

Ontario Health endorsed Grey Bruce Health Service's (GBHS) proposal for to bring the machine to Saugeen Shores earlier this year and part of the approval process requires the community to fund the equipment's purchase and installation while the Ministry will cover any additional staffing costs related to operating the scanner. GBHS is optimistic that the Ministry will grant final approval.

See: Ontario Health supports GBHS proposal for CT Scanner at Southampton Hospital

At the media event October 20, GBHS CEO Gary Sims said that without a scanner all they're doing is moving patients around and it's hard because they're often in the process of being diagnosed or they have to go into surgery and they really don't want to be transported.

With a CT scanner, doctors can get a clearer picture and can determine a diagnosis much quicker and therefore also begin the right course of treatment quicker, Sims said.

Kathy Beattie, GBHS Director of Medical Imaging said that Southampton was the largest referral to the regional hospital in Owen Sound for CT scans. "The benefits, obviously decreasing our wait times, closer to home, not only for the patients that don't have to drive in those winter storms to get to us in Owen Sound, but also for those physicians to be able to have those tools at their fingertips and at the ready," said Beattie.

Jennifer Tuer, SMHF Vice Chair said they were very excited to be bringing this technology to Saugeen Shores. "This 3 million dollar campaign is going to save the lives of our families, friends and neighbours in the community so we're all very excited about it," she said.

Saugeen Shores Mayor Luke Charbonneau said he was certain that it was going to improve the quality of life for everyone in Saugeen Shores.

Currently, GBHS's only CT scanner is in Owen Sound. It runs five days a week, ten hours a day for scheduled visits and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for urgent cases. Having a second scanner in Saugeen Shores would allow GBHS to better manage the increasing volume of CT patients, said a media release from SMHF.

“Southampton's probably the largest small hospital in the region that does not have a CT scanner and should have," said Sims October 20.

Representatives from Bruce Power were in attendance to affirm their continued commitment to their five year pledge of $250,000, or $50,000 a year, to the Hospital Foundation.

In addition, Jarrod Shugg, representing Shawcor, a local nuclear supplier in Bruce County, announced a $20,000 contribution to the campaign and also issued a challenge to other local nuclear suppliers to make a contribution.

Jarrod Shugg form Shawcor was present at the launch event October 20 with a cheque for $20,000 to kick start the "Bring Tom to Town" campaign. From left, Jarrod Shugg, Global Leader, Business Development & Technology, Electrical at Shawcor; Gary Sims, CEO GBHS; Tracy Murray, Executive Director Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation.