New higher performance CT scanner now in operation at Chaleur Regional Hospital

Bathurst, Wednesday, January 15, 2018 – Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst recently acquired a new CT scanner providing higher performance than its previous unit. Thanks to this new device, patients will now benefit from improved services.

According to Solange Guerrette Morin, Manager of the hospital's Medical Imaging Department, the new unit is faster while at the same time producing equally good image quality. “We can perform a larger number of examinations and count on accurate results, despite the natural movements of the body or internal organs. As a result, we can now meet the waiting time standard (four weeks) for this type of unit,” she explained. Ms. Guerrette Morin also explained that the unit exposes patients to a smaller dose of radiation and uses a smaller amount of dye.

The old unit, acquired in 2006, had become somewhat outmoded and had reached the end of its useful life. “Breakdowns were becoming more and more frequent and it was difficult to replace certain parts. The unit had simply become obsolete in relation to today's technology,” Ms. Guerrette Morin added.

The purchase and installation of the new CT scanner required an investment of just over $1.5 million. The President and CEO of the Network, Gilles Lanteigne, is thrilled with this major acquisition. “Thanks to the technology that this new unit offers, it will soon be possible to perform a broader range of examinations. Patients will also have less need to go to other hospitals in the province. In short, we will be providing continuous primary health services as close as possible to people’s homes, as set out in our 2017-2020 Strategic Plan,” Mr. Lanteigne declared.

From left to right: Solange Guerrette-Morin, Manager, Medical Imaging Department, Acadie-Bathurst Zone; Nathalie Guitard, Clinical Supervisor, CT Scan; Dr. Denis Thériault, Radiologist from Acadie-Bathurst Zone