Extraordinary generosity brings $3 million CT scanner to County’s new hospital

Administrator | May 29, 2025 | Comments 0

The new 96k square foot state-of-the-art hospital is scheduled to open in 2027 (behind the current site in Picton).

Extraordinary generosity of the community and transformational matching gifts have culminated in a successful $3 million campaign for the new Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital to have its first CT scanner.

The funding is the result of a collective effort, made possible by contributions from Paul B. Helliwell Foundation, Norm Ritchie and Monique Postlewaite, the PECMH Auxiliary, Wynne Thomas, the Estate of Geraldine Della Bosca and more than 200 community donors. The funds will go toward the purchase, installation and infrastructure of the new CT suite.

“This is what the power of community looks like. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors and the Paul B. Helliwell Foundation, patients in Prince Edward County will soon have access to life-saving diagnostic care—right here at home,” said Stacey Daub, President and CEO of Quinte Health.

“This CT scanner isn’t just a piece of equipment; it’s a symbol of what we can accomplish when we dream big and work together. The combination of state-of-the-art facilities and modern equipment will also help us attract and retain the best and brightest across all areas of hospital care.”

A CT (Computed Tomography) scanner is a medical imaging device that uses X-rays and computer processing to create detailed cross-sectional images of the body. These images, also known as “slices,” can be combined to create 3D representations of internal organs and structures.

Each year, more than 2,150 patients from Prince Edward County have had to travel to other hospitals for CT scans. With the addition of the advanced diagnostic tool, “those patients will have access to faster diagnoses, with reduced stress, and improved outcomes for patients and their families.”

The new 96k square foot state-of-the-art hospital is scheduled to open in 2027.

Pictured for the announcement of the completion of the CT scanner campaign, from left, are: Peggy Payne; PECMHF Board Chairperson, Stacey Daub; Quinte Health President and CEO; John Jenah; Paul B. Helliwell Foundation President; Nancy Parks, Back the Build campaign chairperson and Shannon Coull, Executive Director PECMH Foundation.

“This achievement represents more than a piece of equipment,” said Shannon Coull, Executive Director of PECMH Foundation. “It’s a profound investment in the health and well-being of everyone in our community. We’re incredibly grateful to our donors and to the Paul B. Helliwell Foundation for helping us make this vision a reality.”

The Paul B. Helliwell Foundation made a $200,000 donation to be used for a 2:1 matching gift to the campaign in May of 2025, tripling the value of every donation made, up to $100,000. This is the second time the Paul B. Foundation has stepped up in this way. In 2021, the foundation matched donations up to $500,000 during the Back the Build Campaign, raising a total of $1.5 million at that time.

In total, the Paul B. Helliwell Foundation has now committed more than $2.2 million in support of the new hospital.

In recognition of the extraordinary generosity, the emergency department in the new hospital is to be named in honour of the Paul B. Helliwell Foundation.

“We are honoured to carry forward Paul B. Helliwell’s philanthropic legacy,” said John Jenah, President of the foundation who has noted previously they both always believed in supporting community.

“Supporting this campaign means giving back to a community we care deeply about. We are proud to help bring essential diagnostic care to Prince Edward County.” adds Jenah, who has a home in Bloomfield.

Paul Helliwell owned several manufacturing firms with his wife, Neta. They were married for almost 50 years before her passing in 1985. Many years later, Paul married June and they were together for almost 10 years before Paul passed away in 2001. While successful in business, he was also philanthropic to causes close to his heart.

“The success of this campaign is a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together for a common cause,” said Nancy Parks, Back the Build Campaign Cabinet Chairperson. “We’re deeply grateful to every donor who contributed, and especially to the Paul B. Helliwell Foundation, whose matching gift helped us cross the finish line.”

With the CT campaign complete, attention now turns to raising funds for the new mammography machine to support advanced breast screening at PECMH.

The PECMH Foundation’s Back the Build campaign is more than three-quarters of the way to raising $30M to help build and equip the new hospital. For more information and to lend your support, visit www.pecmhf.ca/back-the-build