An exciting arrival Monday morning at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital.
And no, it didn’t involve a newborn in the Women and Children’s Unit.
Instead it was the arrival of the long-awaited MRI machine.
Something hospital President and CEO Karen Davies calls a significant milestone for the hospital and residents of St. Thomas and Elgin county.
She added the machine – costing in the range of $2.5 million – will greatly enhance our diagnostic capabilities and ensure better patient outcomes.
According to a hospital release, “This innovative MRI machine produces detailed 3D images to help diagnose health issues, detect disease, and monitor treatment. It uses a powerful magnet and radio waves to generate images of internal organs and structures. The new machine offers highly advanced image quality, allowing our medical team to deliver precise and accurate diagnoses.”
Dr. Stefan Potoczny, Chief of Diagnostic Imaging added, “With this new technology, patients in Elgin county will no longer need to travel outside the area for MRI services, providing them with faster and more convenient access to critical diagnostic imaging.”
This is an estimated 5,000 St. Thomas and Elgin county residents requiring diagnostic scans and care.
Renovations will continue in the MRI suite at the hospital, with the first patients expected to be seen on the new machine this fall.
Funding for the MRI machine was generously provided by the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation through the Transforming Tomorrow Campaign.
As of last week, the campaign has raised 90 per cent of the $8 million goal.
In 2021, the province approved funding for a long-awaited MRI for STEGH.
At the announcement in October, then Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Jeff Yurek called it a “game-changer for the community.”
The hospital is one one of the few medium-sized facilities in the province without an MRI.
That is, until today’s arrival.
