Dr. Rex Dunn – Clear Path Forward
Waiting…wondering…constantly checking the phone…
That’s what most patients say is the hardest part.
Behind each of the hundreds of thousands of visits to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital every year is a person – a friend, a family member, a neighbour – who is waiting for answers in moments filled with fear and uncertainty.
Before there is a treatment plan, before there is hope, before a family can prepare for what comes next, we need a clear and accurate diagnosis.
I’m Dr. Rex Dunn, and I’m writing today on behalf of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation’s Clear Path Forward campaign, which aims to replace aging diagnostic technology, introduce new pathology equipment, and ensure our community has access to timely, accurate diagnoses, right here at home.
I began my career in surgery 50 years ago, and I still remember when the very first CT scanner arrived in Sydney. Compared to standard X-rays, the images were revolutionary. Today, CT scans touch nearly every serious patient journey and run seven days a week to diagnose cancer, heart and lung disease, internal injuries, stroke, and more.
But one of two CT scanners at the CBRH has now reached the end of its life. Without replacement, we risk longer wait times and delayed diagnosis.
By supporting the Clear Path Forward campaign, you can help bring a new CT Scanner to the CBRH, improving imaging quality, decreasing wait times, and ensuring Cape Bretoners receive timely, accurate answers, close to home.
Along with diagnostic imaging, pathology – the study of disease – is also vital in getting patients answers and diagnoses. I have operated on thousands of cancer patients over the years, and I can tell you with certainty that every single instance requires a tissue sample to guide treatment plans.
Currently, tens of thousands of tiny glass slides of such samples are manually created, packaged, and – if in need of a second opinion – shipped from Cape Breton to Halifax (or even out of the country) for review.
This can take days, or even weeks, while patients and families wait to learn what their future holds.
A new Leica Slide Scanner changes this instantly.
Along with a new CT Scanner, the Clear Path Forward campaign aims to bring a Leica Slide Scanner to Cape Breton for the first time ever. The Scanner converts tissue samples into high-resolution images, which allows for greater clarity, rapid access to consultations from medical experts around the globe, and ultimately, quicker and more precise diagnosis.
Please join me in giving to the Clear Path Forward campaign to bring this vital, new technology to Cape Breton, to our health care experts, and to our patients, when they need it most. Your generous support today will provide faster, more accurate answers, guide treatment decisions, and improve outcomes for patients and families across our Island.
Together, we can replace fear with answers, and uncertainty with a clear path forward.
With gratitude,
Dr. Rex Dunn
Dr. Rex Dunn is a retired physician who served a 50-year career practicing surgery at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital and surrounding areas.