VANCOUVER, BC – Patients at UBC Hospital will soon benefit from the latest generation in MRI technology. Thanks to a $1 million donation from Hollyburn Properties, the current MRI machine will be upgraded to a GE Signa Explorer. Work is currently underway and the upgraded MRI machine is expected to be fully operational in the next few months.
The state-of-the-art MRI machine features advanced software, allowing for faster, more accurate diagnostic scans. As well, the noise level in some scans is reduced by 97.5%. This has been shown to lessen anxiety in claustrophobic patients and patients with dementia.
“This new MRI technology will support more patients through the continuum of care by providing faster and more efficient technology,” says Dr. John Mayo, Head and Medical Director, Department of Medical Imaging, Vancouver Acute, VCH. “It will allow us to see more patients and better understand their conditions through enhanced imaging.”
UBC Hospital sees more than seven thousand patients per year for magnetic resonance imaging, a safe and painless test that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the body’s organs and structures. UBC Hospital is a major neuroscience and sports-medicine referral centre, and many patients require imaging for multiple sclerosis and musculoskeletal injuries.
“We are extremely grateful to Hollyburn Properties and the leadership of Stephen Sander and the Sanders’ family for this extraordinary $1 million gift,” says Barbara Grantham, President and CEO of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. “Like housing, health care is a key component for a healthy and thriving community. This much needed MRI at UBC Hospital will serve our community for years to come.”
Vancouver Coastal Health is responsible for the delivery of $3.3 billion in community, hospital and residential care to more than one million people in communities including Richmond, Vancouver, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky corridor, Powell River, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.
Contact
Carrie Stefanson
Public Affairs Officer
Vancouver Coastal Health
Office: (604) 708-5338
Cell: (604) 312-1148
[email protected]