Windsor Regional Hospital President and CEO is pleased that a third MRI machine is now in operation.
David Musyj says this additional machine will add thousands of additional scans for patients on an annual basis.
In December 2022, the provincial government announced funding for 27 new magnetic resonance imaging machines across Ontario, including one at WRH's Ouellette Campus.
Just over 22,000 MRI scans have been performed annually at WRH with the use of two machines.
By adding this third machine, the number of annual scans will increase to nearly 33,000, which Musyj says will help to address waiting times for non-urgent patients on the list for an MRI.
There is currently three tiers for those waiting to get a scan done, at WRH Priority 2 and Priority 3 patients are able to get a scan done under the provincial average time, however, the average wait time across the province for a Priority 4 patient to get an MRI is 73 days, but at WRH, those patients wait an average of 157-163 days.
Provincial wait times for patients to get an MRI scan. June 22, 2023 (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ontario Health Website)
Musyj says this is a big announcement for Windsor.
"That will do wonders for the wait list for the lowest priority that we have right now, where we have about 4,500 patients waiting for the lowest priority, about 160 days. So, if we can get that down to 30 or 45 days, that would be fantastic."
He says they are hoping with this third MRI that the wait list will drop dramatically.
"Because we're going to be doing 11,000 more scans a year, starting immediately, and the wait list for that is 4,500, as long as the level 2's and 3's stay about the same volume, even if they increase, we should be able to knock down that waiting time pretty dramatically."
Musyj adds that a big issue with the backlog is those not calling or showing up for their appointments.
Last year, 1,291 appointments went unfilled.
"They get notices, they get reminders on their phones to show up, and if they can't, please call. You'll be rebooked, and that will allow us then to find someone who's on the wait list, will allow us to call that person to get them in. If you don't show or don't call, you've given us no time, our staff no time to get someone into the building in order to get their MRI done fast enough."
When all three MRI machines are running at full capacity later this month, scans will be available to patients 18 hours a day, seven days a week.
The third MRI currently in operation is in a temporary location until a permanent location is renovated.
WRH is currently renovating space at the Ouellette Campus to house a new 3T MRI machine, which should be operational in 2024.