BMO FINANCIAL GROUP DONATE $40,000 TO HELP ENSURE PATIENT AT ALMONTE GENERAL HOSPITAL HAVE ACCESS TO THE BEST IN DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING
BMO Financial Group has announced a $40,000 donation to the Almonte General Hospital Fairview Manor Foundation in support of the “Put Yourself in the Picture” campaign. The $4 million campaign has allowed the Hospital to purchase two new digital ultrasound machines, a new digital X-ray suite and a new portable digital X-ray machine. The Hospital also plans to acquire a $2.2 million CT scan machine, subject to approval by the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care. This generous donation brings the campaign total to $1.3 million to date.
“We are proud to continue our relationship with AGH, and help with the actualization of the spaces and equipment they need to serve the growing community,” said Lester Religa, Regional Vice President, Eastern Ontario Division, Business Banking, BMO Bank of Montreal. “The efforts of this campaign will be felt by patients of the hospital for years to come and allow for the best diagnostics on site.”
“Almonte General Hospital counts 100% on support to the Foundation from the community to ensure our staff has reliable, up-to-date equipment with which to treat our patients,” said Mary Wilson Trider, President and CEO. AGH is a 52-bed emergency and acute care hospital serving the Mississippi Mills region as well as West Carleton, Lanark, Carleton Place, and West Ottawa. With more than 15,000 emergency visits per year and over 500 births per year, diagnostic tests like ultrasound, X-ray and CT scan are vital for high quality patient care close to home.
The Hospital moved to purchase the new equipment because both the ultrasound machine and the X-ray equipment were more than 10 years old. Finding replacement parts was becoming increasingly difficult when the equipment needed servicing. With only one ultrasound, wait times were also too long. The new digital machines are faster and easier to use, wait times are down to a few weeks verses months, the new X-ray machines emit far less radiation, and according to Chief of Staff Dr. Chris Deschenes, “The image quality with digital machines provides better diagnostic accuracy.”
In 2016, X-ray staff conducted 6,701 examinations and Ultrasound staff conducted 4,451 examinations. Currently AGH patients that require a CT scan are transported to another hospital.
For more information about the “Put Yourself in the Picture” campaign which runs until the end of 2019, please contact the AGH-FVM Foundation at: 613-256-2500 ext. 2297 or visit: www.almontehospitalfoundation.com
About BMO
Established in 1817, and currently marking its 200th year of operations, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified financial services provider based in North America. With total assets of $709 billion as of July 31, 2017 and over 45,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.