Smiths Falls hospital preparing for installation of much-needed MRI equipment

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Construction of a new magnetic resonance imaging machine is underway at the hospital in Smiths Falls, putting into motion a plan to offer the critical service by October.

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Officials at the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital say preparation for the much-anticipated project began Tuesday, with construction expected to take around six months.

Michael Cohen, president and chief executive officer of the hospital, said he was “thrilled” that construction had begun.

“The MRI project is in full swing as we take the next steps to bring advanced imaging to our community,” Cohen said Friday.

“Having the MRI services available to our community means care closer to home, and it will also allow us to do our part to lower wait times within the province.”

In a media release this past week, the hospital announced it had officially placed the order for the MRI machine and the project renovation and implementation plans were underway.

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This means officials are creating a new space on the first floor of the hospital to accommodate the new MRI machine, and, as of March 14, several barriers were being added to various locations throughout the hospital to contain the construction.

These barriers will be in place for the duration of the MRI renovation.

“As with any construction project, big or small, there will be changes and impacts to how we currently operate – much of which will be temporary,” hospital officials explained. “As you can appreciate, the MRI machine is quite large and not easily moved into its new location. Our project team has created a plan to receive the unit at the hospital and bring it to the lower level.”

The good news comes as work also continues to bring an MRI machine to Brockville General Hospital.

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Prior to the “patient-ready” date, the Smiths Falls hospital said it would need to relocate some services to “temporary or permanent locations” in mid-March, with actual construction of the new space beginning in April and running through September.

The plan is to see the first patient use the MRI machine in October.

“The next six months will see many milestones on the project with our first patient planned this fall, and we can’t wait,” Cohen said.

The new machine, the first for the Smiths Falls and Perth area, was announced in December 2021, when Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes MPP Steve Clark said it would “help ensure that people in Leeds and Grenville can receive the high quality care and diagnostic imaging they need when they need it.”

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“Access to this type of technology is critical for our community and I’m proud that our government has committed to providing the annual funding to support an MRI at PSFDH,” Clark said at the time.

In its update this week, the hospital said it was “grateful to the Ministry of Health for its approval of our request to enhance patient services with the addition of MRI technology at the Smiths Falls site.”

The technology will help the provide an “excellent experience for the people we serve, every time,” officials said, adding it will allow them to meet the changing needs of the community, support and empower its workers, and ensure the hospital’s future sustainability.

Clark said new base investments to support the operations of new MRI machines stopped in 2011 and were limited to one-time investments to support additional MRI operating hours.

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Over the past 10 years, the demand for MRI services has increased on average by approximately four per cent annually, and wait times have worsened, with 54 per cent of cases completed within target wait times in 2013-14, but 39 per cent of cases completed within target in 2019-20, according to the province.

This new investment brings MRI services to Perth and Smiths Falls region “making it easier for patients to receive the care they need closer to home.”

Anyone attending the hospital can enter the building as usual, by using either the entrance at the emergency department or the main entrance on Elmsley Street. Once inside, staff and volunteers will assist people with directions to navigate the construction barriers.