Advanced facility in Gastroenterology helps speed treatment, shorten hospital stays

New unit, featuring three types of medical imaging, is first of its kind in Montreal

A sophisticated imaging and treatment room, newly enhanced to incorporate three types of imaging technology, is about to open in the JGH Division of Gastroenterology, making it the first facility of its kind in a Montreal hospital.

The space gives the division’s physicians prompt, one-stop access to endoscopy (on‑screen visuals from a tiny camera at the tip of a thin probe), fluoroscopy (a type of x‑ray) and endoscopic ultrasound (views of surrounding anatomical structures), which can be used in various combinations during the same session.

As a result, many in-patients will have a shorter wait for their imaging and for gastrointestinal procedures, along with a reduction in the length of their hospital stay, says Dr. Albert Cohen, Chief of the Division.

Given the importance of the new facility, the funds to create it were raised through the efforts of senior Gastroenterology staff, with substantial assistance from Gary Wechsler, former Chair of the JGH Foundation. Donations came primarily from the Division’s patients (and their families) as an expression of their gratitude for outstanding care.

“The gold standard of treatment”

“This is the Cadillac, the gold standard of treatment, because the different types of technology are finally coming together in one place,” says Dr. Corey Miller, Director of Therapeutic Endoscopy and a member of Gastroenterology staff. Having completed a fellowship in advanced endoscopy, Dr. Miller will be a primary user of the new facility.

He explains that while the images are often essential for viewing the pancreas and bile ducts, the equipment has other uses. For example, fluoroscopy and endoscopic ultrasound allow certain bypasses to be performed, such as a bypass of a tumour that blocks the opening to the stomach, which prevents the patient from eating.

“The new room gives us the ability to do our best for our patients, always in collaboration with the multidisciplinary members of our team,” Dr. Miller says. “We also work very closely with many other medical specialists, including those in Surgery and Oncology, to decide together how best to treat patients with complex diseases.”

Before the new facility opened, patients generally underwent their endoscopy in the Division of Gastroenterology and were then transported to the Department of Radiology for their fluoroscopy.

Taking the burden off Radiology

“This arrangement, which lasted more than 30 years, gave us access to a fluoroscope only on Monday and Thursday afternoons,” says Dr. Cohen. “We’re very grateful to the staff in Radiology for their long-term cooperation, but it was often hard for us and for them to live with those limitations. As time went on, Radiology staff increasingly felt the need to use their own space on a full-time basis.”

Dr. Cohen says this shared arrangement frequently led to circumstances where, for example, fluoroscopy might be ordered on Monday for an in-patient, but no openings were available in Radiology on that same afternoon. This meant the patient had to remain hospitalized until Thursday afternoon before fluoroscopy could be performed.

“It was not at all uncommon for patients to experience delays of three or four days,” says Dr. Cohen. “Our goal is to shorten hospital stays, and now that we’re working in our own premises on the third floor of Pavilion G, this is finally happening. We’ll be able to schedule appointments for the very next day.”

The new facility is in line with Care Everywhere, the broad approach to care that CIUSSS West-Central Montreal has embraced. In Care Everywhere, members of staff strive to achieve the right outcomes by providing patients with the right care at the right time in the location that is the safest, most appropriate and most convenient for the patient.

In this instance, the ideal way for patients to undergo their tests and receive prompt treatment is for these procedures to be performed in a single location—that is, in Gastroenterology alone, rather than in combination with Radiology.

Bringing the project to life

Originally, the project was intended to upgrade and modernize the space only for endoscopy, a project whose development began two or three years ago.

However, after Dr. Miller discussed the need for fluoroscopy with Dr. Cohen, they agreed that the renovations presented the ideal opportunity to make the facility more versatile and convenient.

But how could such an ambitious undertaking be financed?

In the fall of 2023, Dr. Cohen found the solution by turning to Mr. Wechsler, who committed to throwing his full fund-raising expertise behind the project.

With administrative support from the JGH Auxiliary, Mr. Wechsler and an organizing committee put together a gala evening of music, dancing and entertainment in July at the Elm Ridge Country Club. According to Mr. Wechsler, the sold-out event yielded at least $1.2 million, easily satisfying the needs of the Division of Gastroenterology.

Most of those who attended the event—including one anonymous donor who contributed $300,000—were former Gastroenterology patients (and their families) who were grateful for the exemplary care they had received from the Division over the years.

Eager to make the evening a jubilant “family affair,” Mr. Wechsler also paid for all members of the Division who wanted to attend.

“I’m going to be stepping down next year as chief,” Dr. Cohen adds, “and I think Gary saw this a chance to do something tangible to acknowledge the upcoming transition.”

“That was a big part of the reason for the strong turnout,” Dr. Miller says. “Hundreds of people wanted to express their gratitude to Dr. Cohen for the personalized care they received from him, as well as his outstanding leadership of  Gastroenterology for the past 23 years. We’ve all been lucky to have him.”