Advanced diagnostic imaging is now closer to home for Simcoe Muskoka patients with the official opening of the region’s first PET/CT scanner.
Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Doug Downey, MPP for Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, visited Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) this afternoon to officially celebrate the game-changing technology that can detect cancers earlier and with more precision.
“When RVH opened the cancer centre in 2012, they invested heavily in technology, especially in the Medical Imaging department, creating space for the eventual acquisition of a PET/CT scanner,” says Gail Hunt, RVH President and CEO. “RVH wanted to ensure Simcoe Muskoka residents didn’t have to travel long distances away from their family and friends at a time when they are most anxious and afraid – and now we have!”
Minister Jones also noted, “Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is making record investments in our healthcare system to build hospital capacity and reduce wait lists and wait times across the province. With the opening of Simcoe County’s first-ever PET/CT machine at RVH, our government is connecting people across the region to the services they need, closer to home, ensuring more timely diagnosis and access to treatment as early as possible.”
PET/CT is a non-invasive procedure that uses a dual imaging system, combining important diagnostic functionality (PET) with the anatomical assessment of organs (CT). This very sensitive, advanced technology uses molecular imaging to detect certain cancers, such as lung, breast and colon. The PET/CT scan is interpreted by radiologists to describe to oncologists exactly where the cancer is located, as cancer cells absorb the small amount of radioactive compound injected into the patient.
“Imaging allows us to see inside a patient. Without it, physicians would be working in the dark,” says Dr. Raj Grover, RVH Medical Director of Medical Imaging. “Along with providing high-quality imaging data, the PET/CT helps physicians make faster, more accurate diagnoses and can be used to assess the effectiveness of cancer treatments.”
Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) funded the $2.7-million operational cost of the PET-CT, while a $1-million investment from the Ontario government allowed RVH to renovate an already designated space within the health centre to house the new scanner.
MPP Doug Downey added, “The new PET/CT scanner is a game changer for RVH and for patients all across Simcoe County. Access to high quality imaging systems in our community allows for patients to remain local while receiving care. Keeping patients closer to home helps reduce stress for both those receiving care, and their families, and helps lead to more positive outcomes.”
RVH anticipates performing more than 1,000 scans the first year the PET/CT is in operation, saving the region’s residents hundreds of trips down the highway. There are currently 16 PET/CT scanners in just 10 Ontario cities. RVH will be the only hospital between Newmarket and Sudbury to offer this technology. Operating since November 2023, the PET/CT has scanned more than 200 patients close to home.
Andrea Khanjin, MPP Barrie—Innisfil noted, “Our government is proud to be providing Simcoe County’s first ever PET/CT machine at RVH to ensure the people in our community have the services they need close to home. Minister Downey and I have been working hard to bring the hospital’s 2022 initial application to fruition and are thrilled for today’s announcement.”
The purchase of the machine itself was made possible by many generous donors, in particular Barrie Welding and Machine, Western Mechanical Electrical Millwright Services and Dr. Paul Voorheis, a long-time RVH radiologist, former Imaging Medical Director and interim Chief of Staff, and his wife Jane. Through the Keep Life Wild campaign, RVH’s Foundation continues to raise money to expand the health centre’s life-saving regional programs like cancer, cardiac, and trauma while helping to expand the current campus in Barrie and build an all-new healthcare facility in Innisfil.
