Wolfson’s gets new scanner and children’s heart center
02/06/2008 by Mike Sharkey Staff Writer It took over three years, but Wolfson Children’s Hospital finally a state-of-the-art, GE 64-channel CT scanner. Tuesday, the hospital publicly unveiled the $1.7 million scanner as well as its new Children’s Heart Center and Pediatric Imaging Center. In addition to dozens of hospital personnel ranging from Baptist Health President and CEO Hugh Greene to several doctors and nurses, former Jacksonville Jaguars safety Donovin Darius was on hand as was Mary Virginia Terry for whom the center is named after. Despite playing for the Oakland Raiders this past season, Darius served as chairman of the Children’s Heart Center campaign. Greene said the scanner will allow the staff at Wolfson Children’s Hospital to better and more quickly scan and diagnose pediatric medical problems. “This machine will do a full body scan in 10 seconds,” said Greene, explaining that often getting a good image of a child’s organs or bones is difficult because children don’t stay still very long. “To get a perfect image, you need the patient to stay still. Historically, we have sedated children. This machine will take an image of a lung in two seconds. The image is so much better, we can do a better diagnosis and there’s no repeat imaging. It’s such an amazing piece of equipment.” Greene began lobbying for the scanner three years and he started with the federal government and U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, who — after much lobbying in Washington, D.C. — was able to secure the final $478,000 needed to purchase the scanner. “I try to be responsible to needs of the community,” said Crenshaw. “Hugh came to see me three years ago about this need. You know, Wolfson’s is the only children’s hospital in Northeast Florida., so it was only appropriate the federal government get involved. “I was happy to be of assistance. This is the kind of program federal government programs are set up for.” Crenshaw said it wasn’t easy convincing colleagues to approve of nearly half a million dollars for the scanner. Greene and the rest of the Baptist and Wolfson’s staff were appreciative of Crenshaw’s efforts. “We are very grateful to Congressman Crenshaw,” said Greene. “He was very persistent.” The new center is officially called the C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Children’s Heart Center, and, in addition to unveiling the scanner, the dozens who attended the ceremony were also able to tour the new heart center and pediatric imaging center. In between stops featuring a chocolate fountain and other hors d’oeuvres, guests followed a path of hearts to learn about cardiac rhythm abnormalities, could look at the veins on their hands and see a 3-D model of a skull created from CT images, among many other medical-related stops.
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