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December 9!
Magical times. Carlyle turns into a Dickens Village for the annual festival. PAGE A3
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2023
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MRI unit for St. Joseph’s Hospital to cost nearly $6.3 million; $2 million already in place By David Willberg
What’s coming in 2024? The city discusses the budget for the upcoming year. PAGE A5
Drinking and driving is not an option. Message from the Estevan police and the community. PAGE A8
Find all the Estevan Christmas lights. Twinkle Tour promotion details on PAGE A10
The St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation has committed to raising the remaining funds to bring an MRI machine to Estevan, but a few steps remain before a fundraising campaign can begin. A meeting took place on Wednesday evening between Emmanuel Health president and CEO Corey Miller; the hospital foundation and its executive director Lori Gervais; and hospital executive director Candace Kopec regarding the unit. The business case for the unit was presented, and at the end of the meeting, the hospital foundation committed to fundraise for the full cost of the project. “We’re asking them to pay for it, so we reviewed it in detail to ensure that they understood the project in complete, what equipment … we would be planning to purchase in this proposal, what renovations and additions to the hospital will be required, and then what additional start-up costs [would be needed], things like staffing bursaries and staffing return-for-service contracts,” said Miller in an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday. The total cost, including capital equipment, building and renovation costs, and staff training and start-up costs, would be $6,266,000, including taxes, Miller said. The foundation has committed to raising $6.5 million, which would include a contingency. “Anything that isn’t required … would stay within the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation as an MRI endowment for future upgrades and future equipment and future costs like staff recruit-
The diagnostic imaging centre at the hospital would require a renovation to accommodate the MRI. File photo ment, staff training,” said Miller. The project has $2 million already. Elaine Walkom committed the amount, which would cover the cost of purchasing an MRI and hiring two staff members, as a legacy project in memory of her husband Grant, who died in 2017. The provincial government denied her request earlier this year, creating a torrent of criticism once the rejection became public. “Once we get approval, we’ll certainly be working with Elaine in tr ying to work through raising more money in the community and
Recognizing the best. Estevan Minor Football hands out many awards at AGM. PAGE A13
Emmanuel Health president and CEO Corey Miller
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surrounding area, because this diagnostic tool will support the whole southeast of Saskatchewan, and will definitely benefit the provincial waiting lists if all of these residents don’t have to go to Regina,” said Miller. Before the business plan goes to the provincial government, it needs approval from the St. Joseph’s Hospital board and the Emmanuel Health Board. The St. Joseph’s board is expected to meet on Dec. 6 and the Emmanuel gathering is slated for Dec. 14. “It just allows us to have a good measurement of is this a community priority. We believe it is. We’ve heard loud and clear … that it is, but this is our cheques and balances to make sure it is a community priority,” said Miller. Fundraising wouldn’t begin until the provincial government gives the project the green light in its budget. Renovating the diagnostic imaging centre would be the most expensive component of the project, Miller said, as it would cost about $3.88 million. The MRI would be located in the diagnostic imaging area, where the x-ray units and CT scanner are located.
The MRI proposed for Estevan is what Miller called an “MRI in a box”, which would be a pre-built MRI room with a magnet inside. They are assembled in Quebec and one was installed in Winnipeg. Other costs inc lude building the structural slab, connecting to fire safety systems, bringing power for the addition and tying in building controls. Staff training and readiness amounts to about $235,000 for training bursaries and return for service bursaries for physicians and technologists. “ We have to recruit people to move to Estevan with specialized training, so we built a budget for that,” said Miller. St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation executive director Lori Gervais was pleased with the meeting. She is confident the region will once again step forward to support health care, despite the size of the ask. “The community has always stepped up. This is new to me. I’ve only been the director for a year and a half and have not been part of a big project like this,” said Gervais.
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The foundation board has handled big projects in the past, such as fundraising to purchase a CT scanner and fund the first year of operations in 2014-15. Gervais plans on reaching out to those involved with past campaigns about what to expect. She is also glad to have representatives of several RMs on the board because they will help with reaching out to those outside of Estevan. “It’s going to be a farreaching campaign, and this is something that is going to be affecting the entire community from one corner to the next,” she said. Having a $2 million head start will also be a big part of their success, she said. Gervais also stressed the foundation would continue to fundraise for the other needs of the hospital while the campaign is underway. Walkom said she is pleased that this is taking the next step. “I am so happy with the hospital foundation. I think they have good people on it. I think they’re go-getters and I think they question things, which I think is good. I like to question things, too,” said Walkom. A2 » MILLER