A ribbon-cutting celebration was held Monday (Dec. 18) for a new screening mammography machine at Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre (ARHCC).
The machine was funded through $300,000 raised from cash donations, sponsorships, live/silent auctions and games at the Crystal Gala in October.
The GE Senographe Pristina was designed with the input of radiologists, technologists and patients to create a mammography experience that is designed to deliver superior diagnostic accuracy for the detection of breast cancer during a mammogram.
The machine provides easier patient positioning during the mammogram, helping to reduce physical strain and enabling a faster and smoother experience.
At the celebration, members of the Crystal Gala Foundation gathered with sponsors, donors, volunteers and ARHCC technicians, radiologists and others.
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Speakers included Liz Harris, executive director of the Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation; Bernice Oxley, operations director with Lower Mainland Medical Imaging Fraser Health; radiologist Dr. Ami Bajwa; and Gerri Charles, chair of the Crystal Gala Foundation.
“ (The) benefit of this new technology (is) clarity of images, which improves diagnosis accuracy for better outcomes. It’s another good day in our community when the generosity of some serves so many,” Charles said.
The foundation purchased their first screening mammography machine for ARHCC in 2008 with a $500,000 Capital Campaign gift.
In the clinic, one technician does 30 screening mammograms a day. Two technicians can complete 53 mammograms a day.
Last year 11,321 people from the community had screening mammograms done at ARHCC. The typical screening mammography machine has a lifespan of seven or eight years.
Since 1999, the Crystal Gala Foundation has raised more than $4.1 million for breast health and early-detection equipment and technology.
The foundation is 100 per cent volunteer-run, with no overhead, office or staff. The board of 10 raises funds primarily with its annual gala, held in the fall.
Visit crystalgala.ca for more information.
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