Why KDH Needs a CT Scanner, Now!
A conversation with Dr. Colin Sentongo, KDH's Chief of Staff
The KDH Foundation is currently fundraising for a CT scanner. In a conversation with the Foundation, Dr. Colin Sentongo, Chief of Staff, described the CT scanner as “the gold standard requirement to operate a modern ER.” Not only do our complex patients require it, but physicians expect to have it as part of their toolbox, he explained.
“We are always competing for the limited supply of ER physicians, and the CT will improve this physician recruitment as it is an expectation for a hospital with our demographics and patient volumes to have one,” said Dr. Sentongo. He explained that it is so much easier for a physician to have a CT scanner available onsite and not have to convince a physician over the phone at a tertiary [highly specialized] care centre that a patient needs one, and meets the threshold for transfer. “For the patient, a CT scan can provide early diagnosis, which means early management or planning of management of the particular health issue.”
Lots of times a patient, for example, needs surveillance of their cancer. Travelling to Ottawa at a fragile point in their life adds an unnecessary burden. We need the technology at home, in Kemptville.
—Dr. Colin Sentongo
KDH's Chief of Staff
Dr. Sentongo recognized that we cannot continue to burden other health centres with our requests to use their CT scanners. Some of our partner referral institutions are actually incredulous that we do not have our own, and sometimes resent receiving transfers that overburden their ERs that are already running over capacity.
There are also other practical concerns. “Without a CT scanner at KDH, both our patients and their families are impacted,” said Dr. Sentongo. “Consider this: after waiting through triage at KDH, a patient who requires a CT scan is sent by ambulance to an Ottawa hospital. This means one of our nursing staff must ride with the patient, which makes us short-staffed. The ambulance cannot wait around and returns to base or has to attend to another emergency. The patient must therefore make his or her way back to Kemptville under their own recognizance when they are finished with their CT if it is normal.” He shared another scenario: “If a patient is given an appointment for CT, a family member or friend might have to take time off work to transport their loved one 100 km or more, round trip, outside of our area.”
In addition to reducing the travel to other locations for a CT scan, Dr. Sentongo said that having CT at KDH will be very helpful for our inpatient unit. He explained that, “Lots of times a patient, for example, needs surveillance of their cancer. Travelling to Ottawa at a fragile point in their life adds an unnecessary burden. We need the technology at home, in Kemptville.”
Dr. Sentongo also addressed the steady growth of the Kemptville community, with residential projects and nursing homes sprouting up constantly. “With our changing demographics and population growth, we need to be prepared. "We need to operate our ER like a city one. The reality is that Kemptville will soon be considered a suburb of Ottawa. We need to prepare ourselves for more growth. Having a CT scanner is an essential part of this planning.”
Community Heroes
The KDH Foundation established its Community Hero initiative to recognize businesses and their outstanding support of the Foundation in the communities which KDH serves.
Pictured (left to right): Deb Wilson; Margret Norenberg, Foundation Board Chair; Rick Grahame.Grahame's Bakery, Kemptville
Pictured, centre: Judy and Jim Beveridge; to the right of Judy and Jim: Margret Norenberg, Foundation Board Chair; MPP Steve Clark; Joanne Mavis, Foundation Executive Director.B & H Your Community Grocer, Kemptville
Pictured (l-r) Lyle, Heather and Mark Perkins, Margret Norenberg, KDH Board Foundation Chair and Joanne Mavis, KDH Foundation Executive Director.Perkins Hardware Building Centre, North Gower
The success of our hospital is dependent on our community being behind us. If there was ever a time to go big, this is it.
—Dr. Annelise Miller
former Chief of ER
Donor Stories
Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation Makes Donation
Debra Amirault Makes Donation in Memory of Her Mother
Kemptville Duplicate Bridge Club
North Grenville Monday Afternoon Women’s Curling League Make a Donation
The Creative Hands of Petra McElrea
Little Black Dress Event Fundraiser
CDs for CTs
Pumpkin Chuck at Ferguson Forest
Donation from Dustin Golf Tournament
Six year old Gracie
Lemonade Stand
Barbara Larry
KDH Volunteer
International Plowing Match
We’ve actually lost physicians or had physicians turn us down because they feel that CT Scans are a basic necessity. They felt they couldn’t appropriately treat patients without that tool.
—Brittany Rivard
CFO, VP Operations
Fundraising for the Cause
$60,887 raised through the KDH Foundation Corporate Golf Classic
Watch the 2024 Golf Tournament Video
Credit: Anna Van Adrichem Vachon
Thank you to our generous sponsors!