Have X-ray, will travel: Hopedale's pilot project for portable health care a big success, says manager

A pilot project that brought a portable X-ray unit to a remote Labrador community has been deemed a success, says the program's manager.

Jennifer Bull, who heads Nunatsiavut government's End Tuberculosis Regional Action Plan, says the project nullified unpredictable weather disruptions that can negatively impact heath care.

Earlier this month Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services and the Nunatsiavut government's Department of Health and Social Development brought a Fujifilm FDR Xair machine to Hopedale as part of a clinical trial for testing for tuberculosis.

"It was very successful. The clients were so excited to get X-rayed in their community. So we're very happy with the outcome," Bull said. "We will move forward with purchasing a unit and then we'll start looking at next steps."

Bull says seeing a successful pilot program is also personally rewarding.

"This has been like my baby for a long time and I just knew it would have such an impact for community members," she said.

Residents of Labrador know how weather can disrupt travel plans for days on end, which can be extra frustrating if it's for a medical appointment.

Bull says she's interested in bringing the portable X-ray to other remote communities and could expand beyond just scanning for tuberculosis for things like bone fractures.

That's something that is on the minds of other medical professionals.

Dr. Angela Pickles, the province's head of medical imaging, says it is important to find new ways to work with Indigenous communities to ensure they have access to health care closer to home.

"Partnerships like this demonstrate our commitment to bring N.L. Health Services' mission to life by working together to improve health outcomes through an innovative, integrated and sustainable health system," Pickles wrote in a statement.

Years in the making

The pilot project goes back to September 2022, Bull said.

Her role with the Nunatsiavut government is to increase access to tuberculosis-related services on Labrador's north coast and form relationships with other health-care agencies, like the provincial health authority, Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists and Indigenous Services Canada's Atlantic Division.

Figuring out the type of portable unit needed for the project came next.

"The ultimate goal, for sure, is to have community members trained to take the X-rays themselves," Bull said, pointing to Manitoba where a similar project is underway.

The X-rays scans are sent electronically to a trained radiologist who can read the results.

Bull says it's an easy unit to use and quick to set up.

She says there hasn't been a tuberculosis outbreak in the region since 2018, but there have been many cases in other areas.

"We have an extremely strong TB program," Bull said. "We have a lot of really great people that work in the program and we're very prepared and ready to respond should we need to."

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