Erie Shores HealthCare reaches MRI milestone

By Mark Ribble

As the new permanent MRI suite nears completion at Erie Shores HealthCare, staff celebrated a milestone on Wednesday, October 16 as they completed their 1,000th MRI scan in their temporary mobile unit.

The mobile unit has been performing MRI testing since the middle of May 2024 and those 1,000 scans have helped significantly in the reduction of the backlog facing area healthcare systems.

Erie Shores HealthCare President and CEO, Kristin Kennedy, says they are grateful to the provincial government and especially the local community, for helping make this dream a reality.

“The permanent MRI is on time and on budget, thanks to the generosity of the community,” she said. “We have raised $3.5 million of the $5 million needed to complete the task.”

Chatham-Kent Leamington MPP Trevor Jones was on hand, as well as Leamington Mayor/Essex County Warden Hilda MacDonald and Ethan Wuerch on behalf of Essex MPP Anthony Leardi.

“I’m honoured to join you today to celebrate the completion of one thousand MRI scans,” said Jones. “This truly is healthcare at home.”

As for Kristin Kennedy, she was very happy about the milestone.

“We are thrilled to have reached this milestone in such a short time,” she said. “The completion of 1,000 MRI tests underscores the value of this mobile unit in delivering timely, high-quality care to our patients.”

The mobile MRI unit will shut down on November 30 and the hope is that the permanent MRI suite will open December 15.