Dear community members and friends of the Foundation,
I write to you today with sincere thanks and optimism. Together, we have elevated care for the 500 patients who need access to clear and precise imaging scans daily—thank you.
Many people ask me what drew me to medicine, and the answer is simple: I wanted to make a measurable difference in people’s lives, and medicine seemed like the best path for me to achieve that. In healthcare, we work as a team; there is so many moving parts, pieces and people that contribute to the health of a community. Everyone all working in tandem, all with the same goal.
There are 32 of us Radiologists at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals that spend much of our time interpreting patient images—for seniors, for babies…for every person in our community. Just yesterday I was analyzing the results of patient scans with my colleagues inside one of our dark reading rooms. After examining the CT scan of a woman in her forties with excruciating stomach pains, I took a moment to reflect on the journey she has had, what the next stage of her journey will be, and what the future of her scans will look like. In that moment, I thought of our donor community—the community that got us to this very moment.
Foundation CEO Avery Brohman recently called me, as she has many times this past year. This phone call was special as she shared that Imaging is Power has officially reached its $11 million goal. It was a moment of pride, similar to the feeling I had at the Visions Gala last November when I witnessed the room erupt in celebration for raising over $2.5 million for one of the new MRI machines—there was so much positivity, the energy was contagious. I left that night feeling so connected to community.
Imaging is Power is allowing us to modernize six workhorses in our hospitals: three MRI machines, one CT scanner, one SPECT/CT scanner and one C-Arm. These tools power over 40,000 scans and procedures every single year.
As I type this, the first of three MRI machines is being refurbished at Royal Jubilee. Essentially, we are rebuilding the MRI from the magnet up—it’s the first time this is being done in Canada, and we are proud to champion this innovation.
We are also preparing for the new CT scanner to be installed at Victoria General. Our technologists are thrilled—many were present when the old CT scanner was installed in 2008, and we all understand how this new machine will truly revolutionize the work we do.
As we operationalize all six imaging tools, we will continue to update the Foundation, so they may in turn update you. It is important for us to share this news with you, as we truly could not have done this without your support. On behalf of our imaging teams, I thank you for making the decision to join the Victoria Hospitals Foundation this past campaign—as a donor, volunteer, champion, spokesperson, advocate or supporter from close or afar. Not a day will go by that I don’t think of all of you who made this revolution in imaging happen for our hospitals.
When I first approached the Foundation, my colleagues and I were looking for support and trust that we could catalyze a revolution of imaging machines at both hospital sites. We got that, and more.
— Dr. Alan Andrew
Radiologist and Medical Director, Island Health Medical Imaging
