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Ultrasound service resumes in Castlegar until at least September

Ultrasound service in Castlegar has resumed, thanks to some staff shuffling within Interior Health. Routine scans are now available one to three days a week, although the days will not be consistent, Thalia Vesterback, director of diagnostic imaging for Interior Health said Tuesday.

Ultrasound service in Castlegar has resumed, thanks to some staff shuffling within Interior Health.

Routine scans are now available one to three days a week, although the days will not be consistent, Thalia Vesterback, director of diagnostic imaging for Interior Health said Tuesday.

“It is dependent on technologist staffing,” she told the Castlegar News.

The priority is to make sure the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital is staffed, Vesterback added, and then an extra person will be able to run tests at the Castlegar and District Community Health Centre.

She said Interior Health has also managed to recruit a full-time technologist who will start in July, but that doesn't mean service hours will increase at that time.

"We can't provide a consistent rotation yet,” Vesterback said. "We'll be into summer vacation and relief.”

The technologist came from another department within Interior Health, Vesterback said.

"Unfortunately our gain is another area's loss … but this technologist has family in the area and wanted to move back here.”

The move means ultrasound service should be available in Castlegar until September at least.

"It looks like there will be another leave starting in the fall and we don't know what's going to happen after September,” Vesterback said. "After September we will endeavour to provide service but it's too early to comment on what that will look like."

Interior Health also announced today that it will be providing echocardiography service at Kootenay Lake Hospital in Nelson on a monthly basis from April to September, and additional ultrasound coverage is also being finalized to support current services.