A New X-Ray Machine Means Faster, Better Care for Everyone
Published Thursday, October 28, 2021
It was Kevin Gilbart, the “Happy Face Cast Guy” as you and many people may know him, who told me how badly we needed a new X-ray machine.
When you think about it, almost everyone in Thunder Bay visits the Fracture Clinic at some time or another. Maybe it’s for an injury. Maybe it’s with their kids.
Or if you’re like me, it’s both.
The last time I was in the Fracture Clinic, I had a tear in my knee after twisting it at camp. Dr. Puskas, my surgeon, wanted X-rays before my appointment. It couldn’t have been easier. I went to Admitting, then next door to the Fracture Clinic. The X-ray machine was 10 feet down the hall from the exam room, so getting the X-ray was fast and easy. My old friend Kevin couldn’t resist popping in with a quick joke, which made things easier too. (He’s good like that, as you probably know!)
My knee wasn’t too bad – I could still sort of walk. But what would it be like for someone with a broken leg to go all the way down to Diagnostic Imaging and back again? It is so much easier and more comfortable doing everything in one clinic.
That same trip with kids is worse. Kevin has casted both of my sons from hockey and snowboarding injuries. Can you imagine travelling down those long hallways with a child in pain?
That’s why when Kevin told me we needed a new X-ray machine for inside the Fracture Clinic, I wanted to help immediately.
I mean, who of us hasn’t brought their child, a parent, or ourselves to the Hospital with a broken bone or injured joint? Between hockey and skiing and snowmobiling and tobogganing and all the sports and activities we enjoy in Northwestern Ontario, most of us are bound to visit eventually. The Fracture Clinic must be one of the most used areas of the Hospital after the Emergency Department.
That’s why I know a new X-ray machine is so important. Kevin told me that the one they have now has been there since the Hospital opened in 2004. It needs to be fixed more and more, which can lead to delays. Soon, it won’t be fixable at all. They want to replace it before that happens.
From what I understand, the new X-ray machine will be a huge upgrade, too. I guess there have been a lot of advances in the last 17 years! This one uses less radiation, which is always reassuring. It also takes clearer pictures. There are two reasons for that: it’s higher resolution and it takes pictures faster so there is less chance of getting a blurry picture because of movement.
Will you help the Fracture Clinic get the new X-ray machine we so desperately need? The Fracture Clinic sees about 160 patients per day, usually five days a week. That’s 800 patients per week! About half of them need X-rays, so your donation to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation today will help over a thousand people a month.
This new X-ray machine is more than just a piece of equipment. It means faster, better care for more patients at the Fracture Clinic with fewer delays.
Please help me ensure the Fracture Clinic can provide our patients with the best care possible. You can make your donation with the enclosed form, online at HealthSciencesFoundation.ca/XRAY, or call our Donation Centre at (807) 345-4673.
Thank you for your support!
Jamie Ball
Knee Patient & Father of Two Active Boys
P.S. Your donation today will help over a thousand patients every month. To make your donation to the new X-ray machine, call the Foundation Donation Centre at 807-345-4673 or visit: HealthSciencesFoundation.ca/XRAY
P.P.S. The Fracture Clinic is probably one of the most used areas in the Hospital after the Emergency Department! Your generous donation will have a huge impact on healthcare in Thunder Bay and for thousands of residents throughout Northwestern Ontario.