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The South Bruce Grey Health Centre is getting a new mammography machine at the Kincardine Hospital this spring.
Nancy Shaw, President and CEO for SBGHC, says that staff is excited to have a new tool to help patients.
“Technology advances as the years go by, so this new machine will have advanced technology which will help detect earlier concerns and certainly provide the potential for earlier diagnosis,” she says.
The new mammography system gives medical professionals a 3D anatomical view and has contrast-enhanced mammography, which works with an injection of X-ray dye to highlight blood vessels.
Shaw says that this is important, given that early detection of breast cancer is crucial to effective treatment of the disease.
“It has advancements that our previous machine does not have, so certainly it’s a welcome addition to providing care for our patients, and having that early detection capability is something that’s going to be a huge benefit to all the patients that we serve.”
The hospital says that the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) provides routine screening for women between the ages of 50-74 across 160 locations across Ontario, and will be expanded in Fall 2024 to start screening at age 40.
Shaw adds that there are no geographic barriers to accessing care.
“Patients are welcome to make their own appointments. They do not require a referral from their family physician.”
The new mammography machine will be operational in late May.
The equipment was funded by the Kincardine Foundation and the Community Healthcare Foundation.