Timmins and District Hospital officials said families across northeastern Ontario no longer have to leave the region for specialized heart ultrasounds for children. The hospital has reintroduced pediatric echocardiography, allowing children to receive the service closer to home. A pediatric echocardiogram is a specialized ultrasound of the heart used to assess children from newborns up to age 17. The test helps health-care providers evaluate how the heart is functioning and identify potential concerns. For years, staff said many families in the region had to travel to Sudbury, Ottawa or Toronto to access the service. The service returned to Timmins in June after the hospital purchased specialized equipment and established a process for pediatric cardiologists to review the results. Cardiac sonographer Danielle Gelinas said having the service available locally can make a significant difference for families during stressful situations. “Like instead of being shipped out to CHEO directly, we can actually have a look and say, deal with the baby a little bit more here. Find the problem or help better support the baby,” she said. “I’ve had a family from Kapuskasing saying they came by and they said ‘thank you, I’m really happy I didn’t have to travel more or further for this.’” Gelinas added that the test can help identify issues including heart murmurs, congenital heart conditions and other cardiac concerns. During an echocardiogram, sonographers examine several aspects of the heart to help assess its health. “We look at the heart valves, we look at the heart function, and we make sure everything is up to size and all of the heart chambers, everything’s working properly,” said Gelinas. The hospital told CTV News that routine pediatric echocardiograms are now booked weekly, while urgent cases are typically completed within 24 hours of being ordered. Gelinas said the service is available by referral through the emergency department or a family physician.
