On September 14th, Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation donated $300,00 towards liver care at Royal University Hospital Foundation. This gift purchased Portable Fibroscan equipment and will support the development of a pilot program to bring liver screening to the member First Nations of the Saskatoon Tribal Council.

DDCDC Chair Tribal Chief Mark Arcand even volunteered to get his liver screened at this funding announcement. With many reporters and staff in the room, the scan took around 5 minutes to complete and get results back.

A Fibroscan is a portable scanner that checks the health of a person’s liver. It uses sound waves to measure how much scarring and fat has built up, with no needles and no sedation, and delivers a result during the same appointment. It does work that a liver biopsy has traditionally done, without the procedure or the wait that comes with it. Because the equipment is portable, it can be used both at RUH and travel to patients, rather than requiring repeated trips to Saskatoon for imaging and specialist appointments.

One in four Canadians are affected by chronic liver disease. Liver disease usually causes no symptoms until it has already done damage. Many patients are diagnosed at a point where their treatment options have narrowed. A scan that takes minutes can identify the problems years earlier, while it can still be treated or slowed.

Key Quotes

“As a First Nations organization, we’re proud to invest in opportunities that support healthier communities and create positive change. This partnership has the potential to bring important testing closer to home and make a lasting difference for First Nations people and communities across Saskatchewan.” – STC Tribal Chief Mark Arcand, Chair, Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation

“This gift changes what we can offer patients. DDCDC recognized a need in their communities and backed it, and we are grateful for that trust and for the chance to work in partnership for the benefit of people across our province.” – Jennifer Molloy, CEO, RUH Foundation

“Portable FibroScan brings testing closer to the communities we serve in Saskatchewan. This device is non-invasive and designed for point of care assessment of liver fibrosis (scar) and steatosis (liver fat content); allowing clinicians to diagnose and treat early. We are grateful to DDCDC for a gift that will improve patient care across our province.” – Dr. Mina Niazi, MD, FRCP(C), BSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Liver Transplant Program Clinical Lead, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan

Learn more about DDCDC Funding