Revelstoke residents will no longer need to travel out of town for vital heart imaging, thanks to a successful community-driven fundraiser. A new echocardiogram service has officially been introduced at Queen Victoria Hospital, significantly improving access to cardiac diagnostics.
Interior Health (IH) announced the launch of the service, which allows patients to receive echocardiogram (echo) tests locally. These tests use ultrasound technology to create detailed images of the heart, helping monitor heart conditions, assess blood flow, and detect signs of cardiovascular disease.
“This imaging shows the shape, texture, and movement of the heart muscle and valves, as well as the size of heart chambers and how well the heart is working,” IH states.
The service began a soft launch on May 22, with eight patients undergoing initial tests. Full services will be available to the public starting July 2, once full-time staffing is in place.
Kim Mead, professional practice lead for medical imaging at Queen Victoria Hospital, explained that the hospital expects to perform between 500 and 700 echocardiograms annually. Tests will be offered strictly by medical referral. A new imaging room has been built specifically for this service, and testing will be conducted with a state-of-the-art echocardiogram machine from Philips Healthcare, based in Mississauga, Ontario.
“There was a segment of the Revelstoke population that had very limited access to this test,” Mead said. “In some cases, residents had to travel all the way to Kelowna.”
This lack of access posed serious health risks, especially for inpatients and emergency cases. Without local testing, patients had to rely on the BC Ambulance Service to be transported to other hospitals.
“Often, the local ambulance couldn’t be spared for long trips,” Mead noted. “This new service eases the strain on both patients and emergency services.”
While most patients receiving echocardiograms are over the age of 50, Mead emphasized the test is available for anyone eight years or older with a referral.
Patients are encouraged to confirm the type of echocardiogram they need with their healthcare provider. Different types of echocardiograms serve different purposes:
- Transthoracic echo: the most common type, non-invasive, conducted from outside the chest
- Stress echo: tests heart performance under physical stress
- Transesophageal echo: involves inserting a probe down the esophagus for higher-quality images
- Doppler echo: assesses blood flow through heart chambers and valves
- M-mode echo: a simpler form that traces outlines rather than detailed images
- 3D echo: provides three-dimensional images of the heart
- Intracardiac echo: a newer, more complex test performed from inside the heart
The new service was made possible by a $270,000 fundraising campaign led by the Revelstoke District Health Foundation. The campaign began with a Giving Tuesday initiative on December 3, 2024, and reached its original $250,000 goal in just 48 hours.
The Revelstoke Hospital Auxiliary Society also supported the initiative, and additional donations brought the total to approximately $270,000.
“We couldn’t have done this without the community’s support,” said Mead, expressing gratitude to all donors. “This will also benefit nearby communities like Golden and Nakusp by reducing their need to travel long distances for cardiac imaging.”
A major boost came from a $100,000 donation by local residents Jack and Sandi McKinnon. According to Steven Hui, chair of the Revelstoke District Health Foundation, their generosity played a key role in meeting the fundraising target.
“We’re in a good position now to cover all the costs,” Hui said, adding that the idea for installing the echocardiogram machine was first discussed in early spring of 2024.
Hui also praised Mead for her leadership and advocacy in making the new service a reality.
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