With the help of the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation and the community, sonographers of the Toowoomba Hospital Cardiac Investigations Unit are now able to take their imaging services to patients wherever they are located on campus, thanks to a brand new portable cardiovascular ultrasound system.
Throughout the month of August, the Foundation campaigned to raise $105,000 as part of their Helping Hearts Appeal, with many groups and individuals also contributing funds towards the purchase of this vital piece of equipment. Toowoomba Hospital Foundation CEO Alison Kennedy said it was a very special moment for both the Foundation and the Cardiac Investigations Unit when the new piece of equipment arrived last month. “We’ve really wanted to fund this piece of equipment for a long time now, so it was very exciting and emotional when we were able to hit ‘go’ on the purchase,” she said. “I’m not exaggerating when I say the new portable cardiovascular ultrasound system is going to save lives.”
Director of Cardiac Investigations Unit Feena Enfantie said the new portable cardiovascular ultrasound system is allowing staff to do more. “The best thing about the new machine is that we can just pick it up and carry it to wherever we need to be, it means we can come to patients while they’re receiving treatment and to attend appointments in a space and environment that is familiar to them,” she said. “For example, next year we’ll be setting up a clinic at our Mental Health Ward during February and March to scan patients who are at a higher risk of developing heart disease. This means patients who need regular scans because of the medication they’re on, won’t miss their appointments which was a real concern before. We have big visions for this new machine and ultimately the goal is to take it on the road to hospitals like Warwick, Stanthorpe, Inglewood, Texas and Kingaroy where there’s limited access to specialist cardiac services.”
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