February 2007 

Dear Friends:

The Cost for the 64 Slice CT Technology is $917,000 I'm personally asking for your support of healthcare Downeast Maine. Dr. Lloyd Harmon, 20 year surgeon at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

This writing is to seek your help and support as we move forward in bringing state-of-the-art CT scanning equipment to the main hospital campus in Ellsworth.

Six years ago, we purchased a spiral CT scanning unit which at that time was one of the better technologies available.  We celebrated the event with an open house that recognized the promise this new diagnostic equipment would have for improving life in Downeast Maine.  All those promises have come true, borne out by how many of us have had our lives altered for the better by its diagnostic capabilities.  The cost in 1999 was $800,000 plus installation costs.

Our need for CT technology today is much greater in scope.  Maine Coast Memorial Hospital has emerged as the largest and most comprehensive healthcare center in Hancock and Washington Counties growing by over 10 percent annually as more and more of our population seeks our assistance in managing their healthcare needs.  This confidence and related growth makes it imperative we bring the best in current diagnostics to our patients, in this case – multi-slice CT scanning.

While still in good working order, the current CT scanner must be replaced to meet our community needs and standards.  Multi-slice CT scanning technology has advanced greatly over previous units currently available in 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 slice technology.  Our healthcare professionals believe that a 64 slice scanning unit would best address our patients’ needs.  It provides for the ability to be upgraded in the future, which will give us approximately nine years of utility.  Eastern Maine Medical Center is now offering 64 slice technology to their patients.

Hopefully the enclosed material will give you some feel for how meaningful this new equipment will be in preserving life and the quality of life for our patients.

Our plans call for locating this new equipment in an area that was part of the old operating rooms located next to the Emergency Department where it will more easily provide emergency scanning.

We have been offered an excellent price of $917,000 from Philips made possible due to the simultaneous purchase of a new MRI.  Budgets will not permit an outright purchase but with our combined help we can manage a five year lease purchase.  Your help in this matter would be very important to the healthcare needs of the citizens of our large service area.  Please join with me in sending along whatever you are able to contribute to this important advancement in diagnostic abilities of our hospital.

Sincerely,
Lloyd C. Harmon, MD

Our Staff

Donald Baril, VP
VP of Development
664-5337

True Isotropic Imaging greatly enhances most clinical studies, including examinations of the lungs, joints, extremities and CT angiography.

A summary of why we would like a 64 slice scanner
• 64 simultaneous slices of 0.5 mm with each 400 revolutions mean the ability to freeze body and heart options for state-of-the-art clear diagnostic image.
• The ability to scan the entire body in 17 seconds – a must for trauma, accident cases, children and the very ill.
• The ability to give the oncologists in the Mary Dow Center the detailed scans they need – earlier detection of tumors results in better cancer care outcomes.
• A must for our vascular and general surgeons – also important for early colon polyps and lung cancer nodules diagnosis.
• A new important resource in early stroke detection.
• Color codes plaque in vessel walls for care in diagnosis.
• Computer measuring of body area density lowers doses of radiation.
• Radiologists advise us that 64 slice units will be able to be upgraded many times for future technical advances giving this unit a life of 9 to 10 years.
• With state-of-the-art 64 slice scanning in Ellsworth, patients will not have to travel out of town to Bangor and beyond for their specialized diagnostic scan.
• Budget permitting, we hope to be able to add in the near future coronary CT and Angiography to look inside our hearts for blockages.
• More than one physician can view images at the same time.

To recognize those who make life better for us all – their names shall be engraved in this Maine green slate tablet as examples to us all. Please don’t forget to print your wishes for this acknowledgement on the return envelope.

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