First patients scanned on Brockville General Hospital’s MRI

Brockville – It’s official – the region marked a landmark day in healthcare delivery on Wednesday, June 19 as the first four patients received scans with Brockville General Hospital’s new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.

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

“Having an MRI in our community will make a huge difference for patients. Not only will it help reduce wait times, but now we don’t have to travel to receive world-class care because it’s available to us at our local hospital,” said Buell.

The MRI was brought into service less than 10 months after the groundbreaking last September thanks to the hospital’s decision to pioneer a medical-grade modular building solution.

“I’m so proud of everyone involved who made this historic day possible. From the start, we were committed to our ambitious goal of having the MRI operational this spring and thanks to everyone’s dedication and hard work – we made it happen,” said Nick Vlacholias, President and CEO.

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

Vlacholias thanked the hospital’s incredible staff, physicians, project partners at SDI Canada, the Brockville and District Hospital Foundation and the generous donors to the Your Health, Your Hospital campaign, 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 the hospital’s staff and physicians provide,” said Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. “I’m proud that our government is making the investment to support the MRI’s operation and that we’re expanding the services available to patients and their families right here in our community.”

As is standard practice for a new MRI service, Brockville General is taking a phased approach to operating the scanner. Currently, the hospital is working with Kingston Health Sciences Centre to prioritize patients on their MRI waitlist. The first patients who received MRI scans had been on the waitlist for between two and 2.5 years.

Referrals from community physicians and nurse practitioners will start to be accepted later this summer at the same time as inpatients at Brockville General will begin to be scanned.

“MRIs are the gold standard for diagnostic tests 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, Acting Chief of Staff. “Investments in state-of-the-art technology allow physicians and our healthcare team to practice to the full extent of their skills, providing care in a modern hospital setting.”

A grand opening event for the new MRI is being planned for September, pending work on exterior finishings and landscaping.