LGH Foundation generous donor kicks off Fall 2013 Nuclear Medicine campaign

The lobby at Lions Gate Hospital was buzzing with excitement this morning as the LGH Foundation unveiled the latest issue of the annual Well into the Future magazine and simultaneously revealed the generous donor who will be matching every donation made to its Fall 2013 Nuclear Medicine Campaign to purchase two SPECT/CT cameras.

Dr. Philip Cohen, clinical director of Nuclear Medicine, will be matching – dollar for dollar – all donations made to the campaign until the $1.5 million goal is reached. This is the feature story in the magazine and Dr. Cohen is pictured on the cover of the Well into the Future magazine.

The current diagnostic imaging cameras used in the Nuclear Medicine Department at LGH are 10 years old and urgently need replacement. Technology has made considerable advances and practitioners want to treat our patients with the most up to date technology possible.

“Imagine using a cell phone that is ten years old,” said Dr. Cohen to the crowd this morning. “Technology has moved on and so must we.”

The new SPECT/CT cameras feature technology that is a revolutionary hybrid. The CT scan captures the body’s anatomical structures while the SPECT gamma camera shows how the body is functioning. The two scans are merged to produce a 3-D image of unprecedented detail, clarity and precision. Problem areas can then be identified more quickly and accurately, allowing doctors to make a faster, more accurate diagnosis.

Two SPECT/CT gamma cameras will reduce scanning times by up to 50% thereby reducing patient wait times so we can provide effective treatment as quickly as possible.

You can double your donation with Dr Cohen’s matching offer. Go to the Donate Now page or join the Employee Giving Club and help support OUR hospital together.

Read more about the Nuclear Medicine Campaign. Link: http://www.lghfoundation.com/donor-impact/active-campaigns.aspx

Some facts about nuclear medicine you may not know:

• uses radioactive substances in the research, diagnosis and treatment of patients.
• commonly used in the diagnosis of cancers, heart disease, diabetic complications, osteoporosis, neurological disorders, thyroid abnormalities and more
• close to 9000 people were scanned in our Nuclear Medicine Department at LGH in 2012
• the new cameras would allow 600 more patients to be scanned each year