Kincardine hospital marks 20 years of amalgamation, and welcomes new digital X-ray machine

Members of the South Bruce Grey Health Centre board joined staff of the Kincardine hospital, the Kincardine and Community Health Care Foundation and the public, to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the health centre, Tuesday afternoon at the Kincardine hospital.

President and chief executive officer Paul Rosebush welcomed everyone and said it's exciting to be celebrating 20 years of quality health care “close to home.”

“In 1998, there was a move toward integrated health care,” he said, noting that the Kincardine hospital was subsequently amalgamated with the hospitals in Walkerton, Chesley and Durham, to form the South Bruce Grey Health Centre.

“What the organization did was pretty miraculous, and the result is an effective, efficient, co-ordinated model, providing better care and sustainable health care.”

Rosebush said the future is great for the Kincardine hospital, with the proposed redevelopment of the site to provide improved health care services.

Kincardine deputy mayor Jacqueline Faubert congratulated the health centre, on behalf of the mayor, council, staff and residents of the municipality.

“As a resident and a patient of this hospital, I appreciate having these services close to home,” she said. “That's so important to me.”

Health centre board member Stephen Townsend of Durham said the members act as one board, not as four different ones, “and we vote accordingly, in the best interests of the whole area.”

Each of the four hospital sites offers acute care services, a 24/7 emergency department, and a full complement of diagnostic and laboratory services. The 375 dedicated staff provide quality health care – close to home.

There was another reason to celebrate at the Kincardine hospital as the new, state-of-the-art Siemens Ysio digital X-ray machine has arrived.

Trevor Filsinger, manager of diagnostic imaging for the health centre, said the automatic X-ray machine provides improved service for the patients and easier operation for the technicians.

“It's all automatic so we get better quality and consistent operation,” he said, adding that the machine can be placed in a 'parked' position so it is out of the way, allowing staff to maneuver around the examination table. “The ergonomics and safety are vastly improved,” he said.

Medical radiation technologist Kathleen Whale said the machine offers lots of options to do exams and can be customized to the patient's needs.

Filsinger said the X-ray room has also been renovated, with the old X-ray machine and dark room removed and the state-of-the art technology installed.

“There are no more X-ray plates to be developed in the dark room,” he said. “This is direct radiography, with digital images sent right to the computer. We can now do such things as scoliosis leg-length exams so patients can stay here instead of going to Walkerton or Owen Sound.”

The new X-ray machine cost $777,000, including renovations.