A new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner will be coming to Erie Shores HealthCare (ESHC) that will allow residents to receive the care they need close to home. The Minister of Health made a province-wide announcement Monday, December 12, 2022, about funding for 27 new MRI machines in Ontario.
The MRI is a first for Erie Shores and signals a significant Ontario government investment in the future of the community hospital, which provides care to over 150,000 Essex County residents.
Currently, ESHC patients who need an MRI are transferred to other regional hospitals to receive the test, which can be a disruption in their care. This new MRI, when operational, will greatly enhance the quality of patient care delivered at the hospital, and minimize ER wait times and decrease inpatient lengths of stay.
“This is great news and I want to thank Chatham-Kent Leamington Member of Provincial Parliament Trevor Jones for his support,” said ESHC President and CEO Kristin Kennedy. “I also want to thank all of the staff and physicians who have worked for the last several years to make this project a reality. It’s going to allow the people we serve greater access to care close to home.”
Today’s provincial funding announcement provides for ongoing operating funds for the MRI program, including the cost of staffing, supplies, and maintenance.
“The magnitude of this announcement cannot be overstated,” said ESHC Board Chair Kris Taylor. “This investment in our hospital shows the provincial government understands the important role Erie Shores HealthCare and rural or small community hospitals play in the region’s healthcare system now and into the future.”
With provincial operating funds now in place, the costs to buy the actual MRI equipment and renovations to the hospital to house it falls on the Erie Shores Health Foundation and community.
“The Foundation is committed to working with the hospital and our donors to make this project a reality,” said Foundation Board Chair Debbie Kobayashi. “This announcement aligns with our new year launch of a wide scale fundraising campaign to ensure this long held dream becomes a reality, of a state of the art diagnostic imaging program.” The MRI project timeline is to be determined as we assess infrastructure needs and subject to procurement issues.
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