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NLIS 4
February 17, 2005
(Executive Council)
Premier Williams officially opens
MRI suite Residents of Western Newfoundland
will have shorter distances to travel for improved diagnostic services after
Premier Danny Williams officially opened the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Suite at Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook today.
"The opening of the MRI suite demonstrates our commitment to improving health
services in each region of our province," said Premier Williams. "This will
improve access for the people who live in the western and central regions of our
province. No longer will they have to travel long distances to have this
important diagnostic procedure. We have stated previously that we are committed
to reducing waiting times for patients, which is a serious concern for people
right across the province. The installation of this machine is an important step
towards achieving this goal."
Health and Community Services Minister John Ottenheimer said the MRI will
benefit the entire province and physicians in the region.
"This is a win for both physicians and patients. Our specialists on the west
coast will now have access to advanced technology to help them with their
diagnosis of patients," said Minister Ottenheimer. "It will further improve the
standard of care they can provide to those patients on a daily basis and aid in
the retention and recruitment of specialists in the future."
Premier Danny Williams was joined by Health and Community Services Minister John
Ottenheimer and Humber East MHA and Justice Minister Tom Marshall in celebrating
the installation of the diagnostic tool.
Also on hand for the event was Trevor Taylor, MHA Straits-White Bay North; Joan
Burke, MHA St. George�s-Stephenville East; Kathy Goudie; MHA Humber Valley,
Wallace Young, MHA St. Barbe; Jim Hodder, MHA Port au Port; Priscilla Boutcher,
Mayor of Corner Brook; Dr. Ed Mercer, Chief of Radiology; Susan Gillam, CEO
Western Regional Integrated Health Authority; Dr. Tony Genge, Chair, Western
Regional Integrated Health Authority; Allan Kendall, CEO Western Health Care
Corporation; Bernd Staeben, outgoing chair of the Western Health Care
Corporation; and Gerry Byrne, MP Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte.
"With more hours of MRI time in the province, everyone benefits," says Minister
Marshall, MHA, Humber East. "Our patients in western Newfoundland can stay close
to home to receive services, and our patients in other regions will access
services quicker because of the addition of the second machine."
Dr. Tony Genge, chair of the new Western Regional Integrated Health Authority,
said with the addition of the MRI, Western Memorial Regional Hospital is ideally
positioned to provide more on-demand health care services.
"This is a great example of an initiative that was adopted by all stakeholder
groups and brought to completion through a process of collaboration and
co-operation," said Dr. Genge. "This is a very important addition to our
diagnostic imaging services and one which the people from Grand Falls west will
find is of great value in maintaining our health and well-being."
The MRI is expected to see its first patient next week. Initially four to five
procedures will be completed daily as staff become familiar with the machine�s
operations. Once operating at full capacity, it is expected that about 12
procedures per day can be completed.
Government invested $4.1 million in the project. The MRI suite was prepared by
General Electric and their main contractor, Brook Enterprises. The unit occupies
a portion of the ground floor at Western Memorial formerly occupied by the
Physiotherapy Department.
Media contact:
Elizabeth Matthews, Office of the Premier, (709) 729-3960, 690-5500 or
elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca
Carolyn Chaplin, Health and Community Services, (709) 729-1377, 682-5093
Damon Clarke, Western Health Care Corporation, (709) 637-5000, ext. 5483
2005 02 17 3:00 p.m.
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