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X-ray department receives upgrade

Penticton Regional Hospital has marked the completion of an upgrade to its X-ray department.

Penticton Regional Hospital has marked the completion of a major upgrade to its X-ray department, while also celebrating the opening of a new student residence.

The South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation raised $1.5 million in 2013 so Interior Health could update the Digital Imaging (X-ray) Department at PRH.

State-of-the-art digital radiography equipment was purchased to replace the outdated equipment in the hospital’s three X-ray rooms and the portable machine used in the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit. The upgrade is now complete.

An open house for the hospital’s Digital Imaging Department was held April 24, along with public tours of the six-bedroom Jobling House residence for visiting health care students and locum physicians.

Penticton Regional Hospital sees about 41,000 patients a year for X-rays. Shannon Carver, spokesperson for the PRH Digital Imaging Department, said the community response to the Foundation’s fundraising campaign resulted in a top notch facility.

“Our new Carestream X-ray rooms offer exceptional image quality, with improved resolution and lower (radiation) dose to the patient,” she said.

Technologists no longer need to carry bulky cassettes to another machine to be digitally read, leaving the patient alone in the room.

“The new rooms have state of the art capabilities, which allow the machine to move into place with only the push of a button,” Carver added.

“Most X-ray machines require the technologist to physically move the heavy equipment into place, resulting in potential for strain on employees.”

Tours were also held for Jobling House, located next to the PRH psychiatric unit.

The entire cost of the new residence (more than $500,000) was donated to the Medical Foundation from the estate of Lloyd and Lota Jobling of Penticton.

The factory-built facility, manufactured by Chaparral Industries of Kelowna, was placed on site in late February and is now ready for occupancy. Jennifer Connolly Interiors & Designs and Chrystal Nohr Design of Penticton donated several hours of time to help furnish the residence.

It replaces an aging trailer near the PRH parking lot entrance off Government Street, which was previously used as a med student residence for almost 30 years.

Janice Perrino, executive director of the Medical Foundation, said Jobling House addresses an ongoing need for a new student residence.

“We wanted resident doctors, nurses, or anyone who was coming here for a period of time, to have a proper place to stay,” she said.