Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital is now home to a mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit.
Since Nov. 8, the mobile MRI has supported more than 230 patients and, depending on deployment schedules, could perform up to 3,265 exams each year, reducing the need to travel by ferry for this service. Now, when the mobile MRI unit is at its home hospital, patients can access these services closer to home.
Kerry Macey, operations director of medical imaging for Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital, says the mobile MRI will be onsite in Sechelt at least six months of the year. Macey explains the MRI is provincially owned, so it will be used on occasion to support other sites when needed.
“Primarily, it will be moved when an MRI site has downtime and that's usually when it's being replaced,” said Macey. “Because it's very complex equipment, it can take a month or two to uninstall and reinstall a new MRI so to avoid impacts to those sites, the province purchased a mobile MRI and they were looking for a site to be its home site and Sechelt was chosen.”
The province also announced Chilliwack General Hospital has gained a mobile computed tomography (CT) unit. The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) says the goal is to not only provide vital diagnostic imaging services in Sechelt and Chilliwack but also allow hospitals around the province to book them to support capacity during renovations, replacements or upgrades.
An MRI scanner uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create detailed images of the body’s internal structures. Unlike CT, MRI does not use x-rays. MRI is especially effective for imaging soft tissues, making it useful for diagnosing conditions like tumours, neurological disorders, and joint injuries.
CT scans are commonly used to diagnose conditions such as injuries, tumours, fractures, infections and vascular disease, as well as to guide medical procedures such as biopsies.
“MRI and CT scans are key to early detection, diagnosis and treatment, and they can be a pivotal moment in a patient’s health care journey,” Minister of Health, Josie Osborne said in a news release. “As we continue to build more hospitals around the province, we are continuing to increase access to these life-saving diagnostic tools. These new mobile units will add capacity and efficiency in Sechelt and Chilliwack and will enable hospitals throughout B.C. to continue delivering these services during renovations and upgrades.”
The province, through PHSA, invested $5.3 million into the design, construction and deployment of these new mobile units. Since 2017, the province has invested more than $1 billion to help ensure health-care services are accessible to everyone in B.C. — both now and in the future. The investment has supported advancements in diagnostic imaging services, aimed at reducing wait-times and addressing staff shortages by adding 19 new MRI and 11 new CT units across the province, as well as extending operating hours and staffing levels.
Macey notes that while the MRI went into use at Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital last November, it had been on site for several months prior.
“There was quite a lot of construction and work that had be put in place,” said Macey. “Because it’s a mobile MRI, it actually did require a lot of setup at the hospital. You can't just plug them into any plug, there's a lot of infrastructure that has to be put into place.”
This past year, health authorities and medical imaging teams performed more than 322,000 MRIs, as a result of adding 19 new scanners since 2017. As well, more than 994,000 CT exams were performed this past year as a result of adding 11 new CT scanners.
Macey notes many Sunshine Coast patients who were facing long wait times to receive an MRI on the mainland have been able to access the service in Sechelt.
“And, anytime you can have your medical treatments or tests in your own community, that's a huge benefit to our patients, so we're so excited to be able to offer this now,” says Macey.
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