OConnor Hospital Launches Fundraising Initiative to Purchase New State-of-the-Art CT Scanner

DELHI — O’Connor Hospital, an affiliate of Bassett Healthcare Network, has launched a fundraising campaign to purchase a new state-of-the-art computerized tomography (CT) scanner. The upgraded equipment, which is vital to O’Connor Hospital’s continued regional service as a Critical Access Hospital, will help emergency, hospital, and clinic caregivers continue to diagnose diseases and injuries, as well as to plan medical, surgical, or radiation treatments.

O’Connor Hospital’s fundraising initiative seeks to raise $750,000 over the remainder of 2024. With the support of donors and O’Connor Hospital’s surrounding communities, the new machine will be installed by late fall of 2024.

“O’Connor Hospital has a reputation for outstanding patient care,” says James Peters, MD, Chief of Radiology at Bassett Healthcare Network. “The hospital offers its rural neighbors access to high-quality diagnostic testing, of which a key component is CT imaging. Adding a new, cutting-edge CT scanner will mean practitioners at O’Connor Hospital, across Bassett Healthcare Network, and beyond will benefit from rapid, high-quality imaging in our immediate region, ensuring the best possible patient outcomes.”

Like all technology and hardware, CT scanners have a lifespan. While many factors determine how long a scanner lasts, the machine’s tube (which creates images) ages based on the duration of exposures and how much power runs through the tube. With a moderate number of patients needing CT scans every year, a CT scanner typically lasts four to seven years. On average, O’Connor Hospital completes CT scans on 3,000 patients a year for a wide variety of diagnostic needs – making the machine due for an upgrade to keep up with patient demand.

“O’Connor Hospital offers crucial services to Delaware County and its surrounding rural municipalities,” says Peter J. Hamilton, Chair of O’Connor Hospital’s Board of Trustees and Regional Vice President of Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network’s Board of Trustees. “When our patients and communities need us – especially in an emergency – we are ready to provide expert care they can depend on. Upgrading our CT scanner will ensure this standard of excellence continues when every second counts.”

“Timely access to CT imaging is crucial for the effective functioning of O’Connor Hospital’s Emergency Department,” says Matthew Kleinmaier, MD, Chief of Emergency Services at Bassett Healthcare Network. “The Emergency Department is the diagnostic center for time-sensitive care relating to traumatic, brain, heart, and abdominal emergencies, among other conditions.”

With an upgraded CT scanner, O’Connor Hospital will also need to renovate its current CT imaging suite to accommodate the new equipment and re-construct the space for temperature and humidity, lead shielding, and other measures to create the most comfortable and safe experiences for patients.

“Having a modern CT scanner is vital to providing quality patient care and to O’Connor Hospital fulfilling its role in our community as a Critical Access Hospital,” says Susan Oakes Ferrucci, President of O’Connor Hospital. “Our staff is working diligently on this project, and with the support of our donors and community, we look forward to serving our patients with the new CT scanner later this year.” 

To learn more and support O’Connor Hospital’s CT scanner fundraising initiative, visit Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network at Give.Bassett.org or call 607-547-6328. Interested supporters may also contact O’Connor Hospital at 607-746-0326.