Local joins BC Cancer Fdn.

Photo: Contributed

Vernon local Neil Farmer has joined the board of directors for the BC Cancer Foundation.

Farmer, who has lived in Vernon since 1998 and is the vice president of operations at A & W Food Services of Canada, is excited to be part of an organization that supports advancing research and care for a disease that enters many peoples lives.
 
"Like most Canadians, cancer has struck very close to home for me in recent years,” says Farmer. “I admire the work that is done by both the professionals and volunteers at BC Cancer, and was inspired to offer my time and energy to help.”

Since 2014, Farmer has served on the business advisory board at The Centre for Services Leadership, a part of the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
 
He joins the board as the foundation continues its fundraising campaign to bring a PET/CT scanner to the BC Cancer – Kelowna centre.

As of now, there is only two publicly funded PET/CT scanners in the province and both are located in Vancouver meaning patients from Vernon have to trek to the Lower Mainland for their vital scans.

“PET/CT technology enables us to make the most accurate diagnosis and provide the best treatment,” says Dr. Ross Halperin, regional medical director at BC Cancer – Kelowna centre. “Bringing a PET/CT scanner to the Southern Interior means patients in Vernon will have access to crucial care much closer to home.”
 
The purchase of a PET/CT scanner for the Southern Interior will help ease the burden of travel for patients and their families dealing with an already stressful situation.