PICTON, October 4, 2023 - As the need for priority medical equipment never stops, Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital (PECMH) is grateful for the continued support from the Royal Canadian Legion in Wellington.

On behalf of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 160 Poppy Fund Committee, Peter Campbell presented members of the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation (PECMHF) with a gift of $2,000 on Wednesday, October 4. The funds were raised through the 2022 Poppy Fund campaign.

For the first time in our County and hospital’s history, a Computerized Tomography (CT) Scanner will be installed once the new hospital is built. Funds raised between now and the new hospital’s opening in 2027 will equip our hospital with this vital diagnostic imaging tool. The Legion’s gift will help bring this vital diagnostic imaging equipment to our new County hospital.

A CT scan is a minimally invasive way to capture images that provide more detailed information than regular x-rays. In 2022, patients from Prince Edward County, including our veterans, needed to be transferred to another Quinte Health hospital for a CT Scan close to 2,150 times. It will cost approximately $2.8 million to put a CT Scanner in our new hospital.

“The foundation’s mission is to advance health care to our patients, and it is only through the support of our community that we can help ensure veterans receive the care they need and are treated with the respect they have earned,” said Briar Boyce, senior development officer with the PECMH Foundation. “Over the years, our four local Legion branches, Picton, Wellington, Consecon and Deseronto, have contributed to exceptional care at PECMH. We are pleased to know their contributions and those of Provincial Command are helping ensure the best care for veterans and everyone in Prince Edward County.”

With the addition of a CT Scanner at Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital, emergency scans, with highly detailed images from the patients’ head to toe, can be obtained without transferring the patient to another hospital. This imaging is done for falls, strokes, cardiac, and trauma. A CT scan can quickly diagnose brain bleeds, blood clots in the lungs, abdominal perforations, and appendicitis.

Outpatient exams will aid in the early detection and continued monitoring of cancer patients with highly detailed images and reduce wait times for elective procedures. This equipment will also assist with surgical planning for different parts of the body and imaging of the bones for orthopedic physicians.

“We are especially grateful to the Poppy Fund Committee for this gift towards a CT Scanner. The Care Champions working in the new hospital will use it to provide the patients requiring a CT scan with proper diagnosis,” said Nancy Parks, Back the Build campaign chairperson. “CT Scanners available at hospitals have become the standard of care. The hospital’s caregivers need a CT Scanner to provide you, your family and friends with the best healthcare possible without transferring patients to another hospital for care.

Each November, we respectfully wear our poppies in tribute to those who have fought and died for our country, but many of us may not fully realize the direct impact these four-petaled flowers have on our community. While the primary purpose of the Poppy Fund is to assist former servicemen and women in need, a large portion of the funds raised in Prince Edward County help support charitable organizations in our community that provide service and care to veterans. This year’s poppy campaign begins on October 27 and runs until November 11.

“Through your donations to the Poppy Fund, the Legion provides financial assistance and support to veterans, including Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP, and their families who are in need,” said Peter Campbell, Branch 160’s Poppy Fund chairperson.

“We are thankful to everyone who supports the poppy campaign and the Legion. Because of you, the Legion can help others living in this community, including patients at the hospital, have access to leading-edge diagnostic equipment.”

PECMHF is proud to announce that, with this gift, Branch 160’s cumulative giving total to our hospital over the past 22 years has surpassed $20,000.

The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to raising funds to advance health care for the people of Prince Edward County and patients of the hospital.

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Pictured at PECMH from left: Peter Campbell, Branch 160’s Poppy Fund chairperson; Briar Boyce, senior development officer with PECMHF; and Nancy Parks, Back the Build campaign chairperson