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Erie Shores HealthCare has expanded its services in Leamington with the permanent addition of a state-of-the-art MRI suite.
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones joined area Progressive Conservative MPPs Trevor Jones (Chatham-Kent—Leamington), Anthony Leardi (Essex), and Andrew Dowie (Windsor-Tecumseh) for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to celebrate the opening of the hospital’s new suite, made possible through funding from the province.
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Jones also announced the province will increase its annual funding by $540,800, bringing the total to $1.34 million, to double diagnostic imaging service from eight to 16 hours per day by April 1.
“Our government is making record investments to ensure our hospital partners, like Erie Shores HealthCare, have the tools they need to continue to deliver high quality care in their community for years to come,” said Jones, who is also Ontario’s deputy premier.
“Today is an exciting day as we mark the official opening of ESHC’s new MRI suite and our government’s investment to expand access to diagnostic imaging, close to home, for families in Essex County.”
The new suite, which initially operated as a temporary mobile unit in 2024, quickly proved to be an essential service for patients. In October, the hospital announced it had completed more than 1,000 MRI scans using its mobile machine.
“Current wait times are up to a year or a year and a half,” Alicia Lutz, the hospital’s clinical director of outpatient services, told the Star. “This will help cut those wait times down by a quarter.
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“Travel time might not seem like a lot to head to Windsor but for some individuals, especially on days like today, being able to have this service here will be a great benefit to the community.”
This week’s Leamington announcement is part of the 50 new MRI machines in 43 hospitals across Ontario. The province is also adding another 100,000 MRI and CT scans at community surgical and diagnostic centres to cut wait times for a scan to 28 days.
“This is a transformative moment for Erie Shores HealthCare and our community,” hospital CEO Kristin Kennedy said. “Adding permanent MRI services is a testament to our commitment to delivering innovative, patient-centred care.
“We are grateful to the Ministry of Health for their continued support and investment in the health of our region.”
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The MRI suite was announced in 2022, alongside funding for a third MRI machine at Windsor Regional Hospital.
mholmeshill@postmedia.com
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