Muskoka and East Parry Sound are set to take a significant step forward in healthcare access with the announcement that the area will receive its first Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine in the spring of 2025.
The machine has been purchased, and once the MRI is up and running next spring, an anticipated 5,000 patients will use it annually.
This landmark development will mark a major milestone for Huntsville and its surrounding communities, improving diagnostic capabilities and reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for critical imaging services.
The new 3,700-square-foot addition behind the Huntsville Hospital Emergency Department is well underway.
Since Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Graydon Smith announced the provincial government’s expansion of MRI service, behind-the-scenes planning has been underway.
“Bringing MRI services to Muskoka and East Parry Sound is a reflection of our government’s commitment to expanding critical healthcare services and infrastructure in small towns and rural communities,” announced Smith last July. “Our government’s approximate investment of $900,000/year to fund MRI services will ensure that residents across the area no longer have to travel for hours to access MRI. I want to congratulate the many fundraisers, donors and health leaders who have worked hard to achieve this milestone,” he added.
Huntsville Hospital has held the District Stroke Centre designation since 2006 and is currently the only regional stroke program without an MRI under its roof to perform essential studies for patients presenting with critically time-sensitive neurological conditions, noted Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare, which manages both the Bracebridge and Huntsville hospital sites.
“I cannot overstate how important the MRI project is for all of us here in Muskoka. It has the potential to positively impact the medical care provided by all our physicians, which will ultimately benefit our patients and their families,” said Dr. Jason Blaichman, Director & Chief of Diagnostic Imaging at MAHC in a release issued last July. “It is critical to have the most up-to-date technology to provide the best care possible for our community. By bringing the newest imaging technology to MAHC, we will ensure that we have the resources to support continued growth of the medical expertise provided right here in Muskoka well into the future,” he added.
“From diagnosis to treatment and prognosis, the impact of MRI closer to home for patients within and around our region is significant,” noted Cheryl Harrison, President & CEO at MAHC. “It means so much for all of Muskoka and East Parry Sound to have top-quality imaging services in our own backyard, and shorter wait times for MRI. Today marks another milestone in our journey to our area’s first MRI machine,” she said at the groundbreaking ceremony held on July 10, 2024.
The MRI project would not been possible without the incredible support of donors from South River to Orillia and Haliburton to Parry Sound through the Huntsville Hospital Foundation’s Focus on Imaging campaign, according to Katherine Craine, CEO of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation.
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Hallelujah!
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This great news for all the people served by MAHC. It is also great to see that an existing hospital can be added on to saving costs of totally brand new buildings. If money can be saved in any way then that money can be directed to actual health care rather than bricks and mortar.