LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
- July 10, 2007
To The Editor;
The South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation, which is headquartered at the Penticton Regional Hospital, embarked on a new fundraising campaign back in March 2007 to support the purchase of a Digital Stereotactic Mammography machine. The fundraising campaign is called the 'Imagine the Best in Breast Cancer Detection.'
The region we serve for mammogram screening covers the area from Princeton to Osoyoos over to Oliver, Penticton and up to Summerland, a population of approximately 90,000 people. The Penticton Regional Hospital (PRH) does 4,500 screening mammography's per year with an additional 2,600 diagnostic mammograms - needless to say, a busy centre.
The leadership team at the Penticton Regional Hospital and Interior Health identified the need for a new Digital Stereotactic Mammography machine to replace the current eight year old film machine.
The question we often get is, why replace a machine that is only eight years old? The data is clear, mammography is essential for breast cancer detection. Mammography finds 90% of breast cancer in women over the age of 60 but only 60% in women under the age of 60. Breast cancer is still the greatest cause of death in women under the age of 55. We must have the best technology available, especially for the younger, high risk patients. With the compliment of our new MRI (purchased by donors) for possible reoccurrence of breast cancer and extremely high risk patients, the new Digital Stereotactic Mammography equipment will help us to become a centre of excellence in breast screening and diagnostics. Breast cancer research will be conducted using the machine by BC Cancer Agency Physicists from Kelowna.
First, we must fundraise to purchase the machine. Since no government funding is available donors will make this machine a reality. The cost is $1-million and if all of the funds are raised by December 31, 2007, it is possible that we could be operational by June 1, 2008. To date $703,000.00 has been raised but we still have a long and difficult road ahead to reach
the goal.
If you would like more information about the machine, the fundraising or to make a donation please e-mail janice.perrino@interiorhealth.ca or call our office at (250) 492-9027. If you belong to a service club or organization that is involved with gaming funds, the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation and this equipment qualifies for gaming
grants.
Penticton Regional Hospital is Princeton's regional hospital, we hope you will join us as a partner in one of the most exciting fundraising campaigns the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation has ever been involved with, a campaign for women's lives. Will you be a part of the success?
- Janice Perrino, CFRE
Executive Director SOSMF, Penticton
