The CT Brain Tumor Alliance has made a special gift to Saint Francis, the second such donation in as many years, and it brings a smile to Dr. Michael Twohig's face. Read how this gift will improve the patient experience.

Having an MRI at Saint Francis just became easier thanks to our friends from the CT Brain Tumor Alliance who recently donated $25,000 to help purchase a Cinema Vision System. The system allows the patient to listen to music, watch television and communicate directly with technologists. This technology was developed to ease the patient’s anxiety while going through the MRI process.

The anxiety some patients experience is one that the medical field is focusing on more and more, and patient comfort is becoming a top priority. The Connecticut Brain Tumor Alliance, CTBTA, has also made patient comfort one of its top funding initiatives. The 100% volunteer team consists of survivors and caregivers who are committed to providing hope, support and education to brain tumor survivors, their families and friends who are going through the same trauma they experienced.

CTBTA hosts several fundraisers throughout the year to raise funds and awareness to fulfill their mission. In addition to their board, they have a medical advisory group of esteemed healthcare professionals from Yale, Saint Francis and Hartford Hospital. The Alliance relies heavily on the medical advisory group to help make decisions regarding funding priorities.

Michael Twohig, M.D. Chairman, Radiology/Imaging Services, was thrilled when CTBTA called to ask him what his department might need to improve the comfort of his MRI patients. Although Dr. Twohig intuitively knew that 99% of his patients were comfortable with the MRI procedure, it was the 1% that he wanted to help. According to Dr. Twohig, “Whether it is because of anxiety, claustrophobia or just nerves, the anticipated stress of the procedure can prevent a patient from having MRI.” Although the procedure is painless, it requires stillness, it can be quite lengthy, and is very loud. In order to offer the patient comfort and reassurance, Dr. Twohig suggested to the CTBTA that he purchase a Cinema Vision system.

This is the second generous gift to Saint Francis from CTBTA and we are so very grateful for their support. Each year more than 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a primary or metastatic brain tumor, of which approximately 22,000 are cancerous. There are more than 120 different types, making treatment difficult. This gift will allow 100% of our patients to receive the treatment they need and will ultimately save lives.

Pictured above: CT Brain Tumor Alliance Board

Please visit their website for more information, www.ctbta.org