G&M gets operational funds for new MRI machine
Collingwood General and Marine Hospital is one of 27 Ontario hospitals to receive operational funding for a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine.
On Dec. 12, the provincial government announced a $20 million dollar investment to support operations, which will increase access to care for patients waiting for this service across the province.
MRI is a non-invasive medical imaging technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to take detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body. MRIs are used to diagnose many health problems, including brain injuries, heart disease and various tumours and cancers. Currently, patients in the South Georgian Bay region obtain approximately 5,500 MRI scans in various parts of Ontario annually, and travel a minimum of 60 minutes, in one direction, after waiting for more than two months for an outpatient MRI scan, creating disjointed care.
“We applaud the Ministry of Health (MOH) for recognizing the importance of siting new MRI scanners in rural communities, such as South Georgian Bay, to expand access to this service across the province,” said Mike Lacroix, CGMH President and CEO.
“Having an MRI at CGMH, will not only help to reduce wait times for this service across our region, resulting in more timely diagnosis and treatment, but it will also provide care closer to home by eliminating the travel burden that is placed on our patients and their caregivers who currently travel outside of our region for this service.”
The new MRI machine will be purchased through capital funds raised by the CGMH Foundation and it is hoped it will be onsite and operational within the next 12-18 months.
“I am grateful that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has recognized the need for an MRI to enhance access to service for patients in the South Georgian Bay region and other rural communities across Ontario,” said Dr. Murray Miller, Chief of Radiology at CGMH. “This will amount to reduced wait times for urgent cancer, stroke and orthopaedics, while providing care locally in our community.”
