Ultrasound wait times at all-time low at GBGH

From left members of the Ultrasound team: Medical Diagnostic Sonographers, Lisa, Natalie, Carol, Preslee, Evelyn and Erin; Manager of Diagnostic Imaging at GBGH.

April 13, 2022 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) continues to improve ultrasound services for patients, as wait times have dropped to an all-time low due to increased availability of services since September 2021. Currently, the wait time for a routine ultrasound at GBGH is 12 days, which is well below the provincial average. At other sites, wait times for an ultrasound appointment can be as long as four or five weeks.

In May 2021, GBGH developed a plan to improve ultrasound services at GBGH in both wait times and variety of services offered. To accomplish these goals, GBGH extended the hours of operation from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. – 11 p.m. Monday to Friday and added weekend service from 8 a.m.  – 4 p.m. An additional team member was added to ensure GBGH could extend its hours and that addition increases available scanning hours by 1,950 per year. GBGH’s Diagnostic Imaging department conducted nearly 9,000 ultrasounds in 2020-21.

“At GBGH we are continually evaluating how we can improve our services and the extended hours have greatly helped the communities we serve,” says Erin Kominek, manager, Diagnostic Imaging, GBGH. “People who can’t attend the typical 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. hours now have more options. After six months of having the new hours, it’s helped to significantly bring down wait times, so it is a win-win for our community.”

With the addition of a technologist certified in musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound last fall, GBGH is now able to offer this new service to patients. MSK ultrasound is an important diagnostic tool to capture images of muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and cartilage throughout the body. For an MSK ultrasound the wait is typically 18 days for an appointment.

“I was very happy with the quick turnaround time for my appointment” says Maggie Trace, a recent ultrasound patient, “I was booked within five days of my referral, and the staff at my appointment were wonderful. The entire process was timely and professional.”

Patients can ask their primary care physicians to refer them to GBGH when they are in need of an ultrasound.  Learn more by going to: https://gbgh.on.ca/programs-and-services/diagnostic-imaging/ultrasound/

In addition to ultrasound, GBGH conducts x-ray (more than 21,200 in 2020-21) and CT scans (more than 11,500 in 2020-21). Wait times for CT scans also remain below the provincial average.

 

Contact:
Derek Desroches
Communications Specialist, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext 5016
desrochesd@gbgh.on.ca