By Vivian Collings
The Cockwell Family and Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve have gifted the Haliburton Highlands Health Services Foundation (HHHSF) $500,000 for their diagnostic imaging project at the Haliburton hospital.
“We are honoured to make this gift to help ensure the best health care resources are available in the area,” said Malcolm Cockwell, managing director at Haliburton Forest. “I hope that this gift will encourage others to support this important initiative.”
Life-saving equipment is important to have at home in the county, he said.
“As a major employer in the County we want to ensure that our employees, their families, all residents and visitors to the region have access to life-saving diagnostic tools locally, if and when they need them,” Cockwell said.
The new diagnostic imaging equipment will include a mammography unit and CT scanner.
Last fall, HHHSF announced a target fundraising goal of $4.3 million.
The County of Haliburton led the way and committed $1 million to the campaign.
“We are very appreciative that Haliburton Forest and the Cockwell Family have made this significant contribution. Along with the county commitment, this is a strong start for our fundraising campaign to improve local health care services,” said Tayce Wakefield, lead volunteer for the HHHSF campaign.
With a mammography unit, the Haliburton hospital will be able to serve over 6000 women at risk of breast cancer in the area.
It’s the most effective way to detect breast cancer.
Haliburton County is the only county in Ontario without a CT scanner.
Soon, residents will be able to receive diagnoses close to home.
With the diagnostic imaging suit under construction, the CT scanner is expected to arrive in June.
The mammography unit will come later this year.
“It is exciting to see this transformational gift make an immediate impact. We are grateful to the Cockwell Family and Haliburton Forest for this gift in support of the Diagnostic Imaging expansion at HHHS,” said David Blodgett, chair of the HHHSF board. “This gift is a further example of the exceptional generosity of those who live, work and visit the County.”
The diagnostic imaging is expected to reduce ambulance visits out of the county, keeping them close for local emergencies.
There is also hope new technology will attract physicians, nurses, and medical radiation technologists to the area.
“The Here for You Diagnostic Imaging Campaign is the beginning of much-needed upgrades at HHHS to ensure a thriving healthy community in the future. This is a critical, life-changing step forward in the provision of health services in the County. It is a big project but one that is desperately needed, bringing CT to the county has been over a decade in the works,” said Melanie Klodt-Wong, executive director of HHHSF.
Visit the Foundation website hhhs.ca/foundation to learn more about their Here For You campaign.
