(Strathroy, ON) The Middlesex Hospital Alliance (MHA) and the MHA Board of Directors is thrilled that the Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital (SMGH) has been selected by the ministry as one of the hospitals in Ontario that will receive operational funding for a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine.
Monte McNaughton, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex visited MHA’s Strathroy hospital site today to celebrate this investment. Across Ontario, the Government of Ontario will invest over $20 million in operating funding to support the addition of 27 new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
“Today’s announcement for an MRI service at our local hospital will result in local access to what is widely considered the gold standard of diagnostic imaging,” said Catherine Osborne, MHA Board Chair.
The funding will allow MHA to receive our first-ever MRI machine, which will help to reduce wait times and result in more timely diagnoses and treatment. It will also provide care closer to home by reducing the travel burden that is placed on our patients and their caregivers who need to travel outside the area for this service.
“Getting our first MRI machine for the MHA is a game-changer for families,” said Monte McNaughton, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP McNaughton. “This investment means that patients can focus on their health instead of worrying about travelling out-of-town, while also giving our healthcare workers the tools they need to continue delivering exceptional care.”
The provincial funding will cover the new MRI’s operational expenses, which will cover the costs associated with the day-to-day use of the machine. Final cost estimates for the MRI project and timelines for when service would commence are still under review. The creation of the MRI suite is a significant undertaking, and the MHA will be working collaboratively with hospital foundations and other partners to explore funding opportunities.
According to Julie McBrien, MHA’s interim President and CEO, “with a SMGH capital re-vitalization project also being planned for the future, it is our responsibility to ensure that the creation of this MRI Suite is cost-conscious and compliments future redevelopment plans.”
The addition of MRI brings modernization to patient care. MR imaging will help patients and their care providers get better and accurate diagnoses, particularly for neurological disorders. For patients being assessed for a possible cancer diagnosis, MRI can eliminate the need for continual follow-up of non-cancer abnormalities, reducing worry and reducing time off work for further tests . With respect to aches and pains, MRI has the ability to visualize internal tissues differently than our routine imaging tests and will help doctors come up with treatments specific for the patient in front of them. All in all, this is a big step forward and great news for the residents of Strathroy as well as the surrounding communities that we service.
More information and updates to our communities, will be forthcoming in the weeks and months to come, as MRI plans are finalized.
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| For local inquiries: Middlesex Hospital Alliance Stacey Griffin Executive Assistant to the CEO, Coordinator of Board Affairs Stacey.griffin@mha.tvh.ca (519) 245-5295 ext: 5593 www.mhalliance.on.ca About MHA: The Middlesex Hospital Alliance (MHA) is comprised of two fully accredited partner sites: Four Counties Health Services and Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital. A progressive, team-oriented and technologically adept organization of excellence, the MHA is creating a more integrated and seamless approach to treatment by embracing and seeking out partnerships, through collaboration and investing in people. This coordinated approach helps to ensure that a high level of service is provided, while reducing costs and continually enhancing quality. |