WDH Foundation News & Events

A significant portion of this year’s investment includes the final installments toward the hospital’s new CT scanner, a transformative addition made possible through the Foundation’s Caring Together capital campaign. The CT Scanner is now operating 24/7 and is helping patients access faster diagnostic imaging close to home, reducing the need to travel outside the community for care.

Additional funding this year supported a wide range of priorities throughout the hospital, including a new bone density unit – a brand-new service for the hospital – as well as, orthopedic surgical tools, a scope drying cabinet, oncology chairs, medication carts, wheelchairs, mattresses, and pain pumps.

The Foundation also continued its annual support of the Wingham & Area Health Professionals Recruitment Committee, helping attract and retain healthcare professionals for the community.
“These investments reflect the incredible commitment our community has to sustaining excellent local health services,” said Executive Director Nicole Duquette-Jutzi. “Every dollar helps put vital tools and technology in the hands of our competent and compassion care team.”

This year’s fundraising success was made possible through generous support from donors, businesses, service clubs, grant programs, the CKNX Healthcare Heroes Radiothon, the Giving Tuesday Big Match campaign, memorial gifts, and other fundraising initiatives. The Auxiliary to the Wingham & District Hospital also made a significant contribution of more than $24,000 toward equipment purchases.

Since its establishment, the Wingham & District Hospital Foundation has contributed more than $16.7 million to the hospital in support of patient care and medical equipment.

Community members gathered at the Wingham & District Hospital on June 25 for an open house celebrating the opening of the brand-new CT Scanner suite. This milestone was made possible through generous community donations and the success of the Caring Together campaign that raised $3,600,000.

More than 50 guests attended the celebration touring the new CT suite and viewing the state-of-the-art equipment. Tours were led by Diagnostic Imaging Supervisor Jaide Campbell who gave attendees an inside look at how the machine works. “We are proud to be the first hospital in Ontario to implement the combined use of Ultravist® contrast dye and the Centargo® contrast injector from Bayer-MEDRAD,” said Campbell. “Paired with the advanced capabilities of the Siemens X-Cite CT Scanner, this will allow us to tailor scans to individual patients delivering more accurate results and a more comfortable patient experience”.

Speakers included Dr. Sean Henderson, ER Lead at Wingham & District Hospital, who described his first experiences ordering a CT scan onsite. Instead of initiating a lengthy transferring process when imaging is needed, he can keep patients in Wingham and provide urgent treatments faster. This means greater continuity of care for the patient and reduced stress for the medical team.

Also speaking were Mark Foxton, Chair of the Caring Together fundraising campaign, and Ben Hogervorst, President of Britespan Building Systems Inc. Britespan made the lead $1 million donation to the campaign. The CT Suite is now named in honour of the company’s extraordinary contribution.

“We are deeply grateful to every donor and all the volunteers who helped make this possible,” said Nicole Duquette-Jutzi, Executive Director of the Wingham & District Hospital Foundation. “This is life-saving equipment and it’s only here because our community is incredibly committed to supporting our hospital.”

The addition of a CT scanner at Wingham & District Hospital improves access to care. Patients needing advanced diagnostic imaging no longer have to be transferred to Listowel, often by ambulance. This reduces delays in care, supports better clinical decisions, eases the burden of travel on patients and families, and decreases system costs by limiting ambulance use. CT imaging is becoming a standard part of emergency medicine. The new scanner went live on June 16, and by this fall, the Wingham site is expected to provide 24/7 access to this vital service.

“Our Board is honoured to support this kind of forward-looking investment that improves care today while building the foundation for tomorrow,” said Stacey Ash, Board Chair of the Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance. “We are grateful to the Government of Ontario, our Foundation, and every partner and donor who brought this dream to life”.
“We’re excited about the transformative impact this project will have on patients and families locally,” said Esther Millar, President & CEO of LWHA. “Having CT services available right here in Wingham means faster diagnoses, better outcomes, and care that’s delivered closer to home.”

The Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance and the Wingham & District Hospital Foundation thank everyone who contributed their time and resources.