Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre in Amherst, Nova Scotia has begun using a new CT scanner that delivers images in a fraction of the time of its 14-year-old predecessor. The Siemens Somatom X.ceed is the first of its model in Atlantic Canada, according to Nova Scotia Health.
For patients rushed to the emergency department with trauma, stroke or cardiac symptoms, the faster capture speed can mean quicker diagnoses when every minute matters. The machine’s 82-centimetre opening also provides more room, reducing anxiety for patients who find enclosed spaces uncomfortable and accommodating larger body types.
The upgrade, announced September 9, 2026, involved more than just the scanner itself. The department added a Centargo contrast injector to streamline how contrast dye is delivered during scans, along with a new IV room and bathroom to improve patient flow. Seven CT technologists rotate through the department daily.
Prior to this installation, some residents of Cumberland County may have faced travel to larger centres in Halifax or Moncton for sophisticated imaging. Now, advanced diagnostic technology is available closer to home, reducing wait times and travel burdens for the county’s roughly 30,000 residents.
The new scanner replaces equipment that had served the hospital since 2012, marking the first major CT upgrade in 14 years. It follows other recent investments at the hospital, including a planned expanded emergency department and renal dialysis unit.
