New Era of Breast Health: Welcoming 3D Mammography

In a significant leap forward for breast cancer detection and care, Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital’s Medical Imaging Department is now equipped with the new Hologic 3Dimensions Mammography System.

Members of our community may recall that in 2013, under the leadership of Board Chair Maureen Clayton, Sechelt Hospital Foundation purchased our hospital’s first digital mammography machine, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Mr. Donald Webster. At the time, this cutting-edge technology offered our radiologists the fastest, clearest images possible. Funded through Mr. Webster’s estate, that gift represented a turning point for diagnostic care in our community, producing tens of thousands of mammography scans, and impacting innumerable lives. Operating non-stop for over a decade, performing more than 2,000 mammograms every year for patients across the Sunshine Coast, that purchase has been worth its weight in gold. Today however, that specific technology has aged out, with replacement parts no longer available.

Recognizing the urgency of replacing this critical technology, the Sechelt Hospital Foundation made a commitment to raise the full funding for the newest digital mammography technology available, ensuring our community continues to receive this vital diagnostic service. “The availability of equipment in our Medical Imaging Department in a testament to the power of local philanthropy,” says Jane Macdonald, Executive Director of the Hospital Foundation. Proudly, a new chapter now begins, with the installation of the Hologic 3Dimensions Digital Mammography System.

Unlike the 2D scans of its predecessor, this technology captures multiple images from multiple angles, creating a full 3D picture of the breast and dense tissue, with the added advantage of reduced radiation.

“This technology will allow us to find cancers earlier, when treatments are more successful and less invasive,” adds Laurel Silverman, Mammography Technician at Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital. “It’s truly lifesaving.” The hospital’s seven mammography technologists are eager to put this equipment to work. With ongoing operation supported by Vancouver Coastal Health, the new unit will be fully utilized for years to come.

The Sechelt Hospital Foundation would like to recognize and gratefully thank every contributing donor.  “In this particular case, we can directly point to gifts in wills and a generous family foundation, which made this purchase possible, honouring the wishes of grateful patients and visionary philanthropists,” noted Jane Macdonald.

Approximately $280,000 came directly from donor contributions to the Hospital Foundation, and $125,000 was awarded via a recent grant from the Mr. and Mrs. P.A. Woodward’s Foundation.

Sechelt Hospital Foundation believes that the best medicine is local.  If you would like to learn more about future projects and facility upgrades please visit www.sechelthospitalfoundation.org or Email: Sh.foundation@vch.ca.  If you would like to book a screening mammogram, please call BC Cancer Screening at 1 (800) 663-9203.