Faster patient access as diagnostic services expansion moves forward for Delta Hospital

DELTA, B.C. – Delta residents needing medical imaging services such as CT scans will be able to access these services more quickly when the new Peter C. and Elizabeth Toigo Diagnostic Services building opens at Delta Hospital in 2019. Today, Delta Hospital Foundation and its donors, hospital staff and community members officially launched construction of the new facility, which will be 2.5 times bigger and be able to accommodate an additional 32,000 patient visits each year.

“The generosity this community has shown has allowed us to greatly expand the services offered at Delta Hospital, and that means residents here can receive treatment faster and recover more quickly,” said Ravi Kahlon, Delta North MLA. “A test from the lab, an x-ray from medical imaging or a CT scan can save a life, detect the otherwise undetectable illnesses and give a doctor the information needed to make an accurate diagnosis or prescribe treatment.”

The project will expand, enhance and relocate the hospital’s medical imaging and laboratory services departments into a brand new, two-storey facility. The new space was designed with input from medical imaging and laboratory staff and, once complete in 2019, it will not only accommodate more patient visits each year but will also make it easier for staff to treat patients and operate more efficiently.

“Having quicker access to information to diagnose and recommend treatment is an important part of caring for our patients,” said Michael Marchbank, Fraser Health President and CEO. “I want to thank the Foundation, its donors and the Toigo family for the very generous contribution to see this become a reality.”

The number of patients requiring diagnostic services at Delta Hospital has increased to over 90,000 per year from almost 14,000 in 1977. Expanding and improving diagnostic services will lead to faster and more precise diagnoses as new technology and more space allows staff to work more efficiently. This ultimately allows staff to start treatment or care plans earlier and results in shorter hospital stays for patients. The new space provides more privacy and comfort for patients, while medical staff will have access to state-of-the-art equipment which will enable them to detect an illness and initiate treatment in a timely manner.

The $15.12 million project is being funded by the community through Delta Hospital Foundation’s commitment of $7.5 million, including a $2.5 million donation by the Toigo family, with Fraser Health providing an additional $7.62 million.

“Delta Hospital is thriving and growing because of the compassion, support and commitment of many individuals and businesses that live and work here,” says Randy Kaardal, Board Chair, Delta Hospital Foundation. “This is truly a special community.”

A longtime resident of the Delta area, Peter C. Toigo, his wife Elizabeth and their six children relocated from Powell River to Tsawwassen in 1964, where much of the family still lives. In 2015, the Toigo family made a $2.5-million donation to Delta Hospital Foundation’s fundraising campaign for the new diagnostic services building – the largest single gift ever received by the Foundation. Since 2003, the Toigo family has given more than $2.75 million to Delta Hospital Foundation to support various projects at Delta Hospital.