Dr. Nathan Schneidereit, Colorectal & General Surgery & Kim Racette, RN, Endoscopy Department, NRGH

RN’s Robyn Zuccaro & Judy Mana prepare one of the procedural suites, Endoscopy Department, NRGH

Help Raise $1.5 million to Reduce Colonoscopy Wait Times!

Increasing access to colonoscopies and providing care closer to home are key BC Government priorities. To accomplish increased access, the Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation is partnering with Island Health, the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District and the Government of British Columbia.

As part of this partnership, the Hospital Foundation is raising $1.5 million for a new surgical suite for the Endoscopy Department at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital which will be used predominately for colonoscopies. The project also includes preparation rooms and all the required medical equipment.

Why is this project so urgent?

• Colonoscopies and are used to diagnose serious illnesses including Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Diverticulitis and Colon Cancer
• 80% of all endoscopic procedures are colonoscopies
• There are over 2,500 patients currently waiting up to 12 months for a colonoscopy at NRGH, plus another 1,000 patients are waiting for other endoscopic procedures
• Statistically, approximately 30 – 40 patients who are waiting for a colonoscopy at NRGH have undiagnosed colon cancer
• One in every thirteen men and one in every sixteen women will be diagnosed with colon cancer in their lifetime
• Colon cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada
• Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men and third in women

With the new suite, colonoscopy wait times will be significantly reduced. Up to 6,750 procedures will be performed per year when the suite is operational, an increase of 35% over current numbers. The sooner a patient can get a colonoscopy, the earlier their diagnosis and treatment. Every additional colonoscopy that can be done is vital because we are all patients.

Please donate today and help provide our community with quicker access to the best healthcare possible.