New Mammography Machine at Cornwall Hospital Thanks to Successful Fundraising Campaign

Cornwall, ON – Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH) is excited to unveil a new state-of-the-art mammography machine, made possible through a successful fundraising campaign led by the Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation (CCHF).

The new mammography machine features industry-leading technology, such as a new highly detailed 3D breast imaging system, that will enhance the quality and outcomes of breast cancer screening for local patients.

The acquisition of the new machine is several years in the making; CCHF completed its original fundraising goal of $400,000 in March 2020, on the cusp of the global pandemic. The purchase came to a standstill when borders shut down and medical equipment supply chains became impacted and severely delayed. The revised timing of the machine’s acquisition however presented the opportunity to purchase a unit with groundbreaking features that were not available in 2020. Thanks to local donors who support urgent equipment needs at our hospital, CCHF provided an additional $250,000, to secure these advancements for women’s health.

“The acquisition of this new mammography machine is a testament to the compassionate and collaborative spirit of our community and allows our hospital to continue providing world class diagnostic services closer to home,” said Jeanette Despatie, CCH President and Chief Executive Officer. “The introduction of a high-quality 3D breast imaging system will allow our patients to benefit from smarter technologies and we look forward to the meaningful impact this will have on our community.”

“On behalf of our Hospital Foundation Board and staff, we are grateful for the donors who helped reach our mammography fundraising goal pre-COVID, and to every individual, business, and organization whose donations helped us raise an added $250,000 so 3D breast imaging could become a reality for local patients,” said Amy Gillespie, Executive Director at CCHF. “The impacts of COVID-19 were far reaching, and the delay was difficult, but the silver lining of making this incredible new technology available at CCH is a gift.”

CCH is part of the Ontario Breast Screening Program and the hospital’s mammography services are accredited by the Canadian Association of Radiologists. More than 13,000 mammograms are performed every year at CCH on patients from Cornwall, the SDG Counties and Akwesasne.