Brockville General Hospital completes first patient scan with new MRI

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The wait is officially over.

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It was a landmark day at Brockville General Hospital on Wednesday when the first four patients received scans with the brand new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. Some of them were on the waiting list for almost two and a half years.

Brooke Buell was one of the first patients to receive a scan and said it was exciting to be a part of the historic day at the hospital.

“Having an MRI in our community will make a huge difference for patients,” Buell said in a written statement.

“Not only will it help reduce waiting times, but now we don’t have to travel to receive world-class care because it’s available to us at our local hospital.”

The road to a working MRI has been a long one in Brockville. For years, hospital administration has talked about the need for such a machine, as thousands of local patients who needed a scan had to travel to Ottawa, Kingston or Cornwall to get one.

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The hospital was finally approved for a machine in October 2021, when the province announced it would contribute money towards the cost of the operation MRI.

The Brockville and the District Hospital Foundation then successfully raised $12.5 million for the purchase MRI and the suite to house it, a mammography machine and other equipment needed at the hospital.

Officials broke ground on an addition to the existing diagnostic imaging department, located west of the hospital’s main entrance, in September 2023. The prefabricated modular building to house the MRI suite was delivered in March, and the 4.2-ton machine arrived at the front place in May. .

Now that it is operational, tThe hospital is taking a phased approach to operating the scanner, which officials said is “standard practice” for a new MRI machine.

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The hospital is currently working with the Kingston Health Sciences Center to “prioritize patients” on their MRI waiting list. Referrals from community doctors and nurse practitioners will begin to be accepted later this summer, at the same time that BGH inpatients begin to be scanned.

“MRI is the gold standard for diagnostic testing, and today is an important step forward as Brockville General continues to expand to meet the growing needs of our community,” said Dr. Michael Fuoco, Chief of Staff of the hospital.

“Investments in state-of-the-art technology allow our physicians and health care team to practice to the best of their abilities, providing care in a modern hospital setting.”

According to the Ministry of Health, an MRI machine uses a non-invasive medical imaging technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to take detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body. They are used to diagnose many health problems, including brain damage, heart disease, and various tumors and cancers.

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MRIs, because of their large magnets, require a specialized housing. To quickly house the new machine, officials opted for a medical-grade modular building, making BGH the first hospital in Ontario to take that step.

That decision was vindicated this week when the MRI was put into operation less than 10 months after the inauguration ceremony in September, officials said Wednesday.

“I am so proud of everyone involved who made this historic day possible. From the beginning, we were committed to our ambitious goal of having the MRI up and running this spring, and thanks to everyone’s dedication and hard work, we made it happen,” said Nick Vlacholias, Brockville General President and CEO , in a written statement.

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“Brockville General was the first hospital in Ontario to use a modular design, and now other hospitals are following suit. This means projects will be completed faster, ensuring thousands of patients receive vital MRI scans sooner.”

Vlacholias thanked the hospital staff, physicians, project partners at SDI Canada, the hospital foundation and fundraising campaign donors, as well as MPP Steve Clark and the Ontario government.

“This is a great day for everyone in our region who relies on Brockville General and the outstanding care provided by the hospital’s staff and physicians,” Clark said in a statement of his own.

“I’m proud that our government is making the investment to support the operation of NMR and that we’re expanding the services available to patients and their families right here in our community.”

A grand opening event for the new RMN is planned for September, once exterior finishing and landscaping work is complete.

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