Quieter, faster MRI coming to Lions Gate Hospital thanks to $1 million donation
Local property management and development company, Hollyburn Properties Ltd., has donated $1 million to the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation to bring the latest MRI technology to the Radiology Department at LGH.
The gift will make Lions Gate the first hospital in B.C. to employ the latest generation in MRI technology.
The new GE Signa Explorer MRI, scheduled to arrive at LGH in April 2016, is faster, quieter and produces better quality images and resolution for an accurate diagnosis.
“This gift from Hollyburn Properties represents another step forward in our ability to deliver high quality medical care to the community,” said Dr. Kevin Rowan, LGH Director of Diagnostic Imaging. “This new MRI technology means faster and more effective diagnosis and treatment for our patients.”
New imager almost 98 per cent quieter
The new imager will also have a dramatic impact on reducing patient anxiety in claustrophobic patients thanks to the decibel level going from 108 to three, which is a 97.5 per cent reduction from earlier MRIs. This, in turn, will also help increase the number of scans. Currently, about one to two per cent of imaging time is lost to patients who are too stressed by the close environment in the scanner to continue with the exam.
In addition, 3-D simulation will replace the need for patients to be injected with a contrast medium, which reduces the risk of an adverse reaction in patients and the cost of staffing.
The new imager, which can scan in a fraction of the time of the current imager, will also increase the number of MRIs performed annually at the hospital. Currently, LGH performs 7,700 MRIs annually.
“This is an extremely generous gift that will have a significant impact on patient care,” said Judy Savage, President, Lions Gate Hospital Foundation. “It will allow considerable quality improvements and greater patient comfort, bringing first-class diagnostic imaging capability to the North Shore.”
Hollyburn founded on the North Shore in 1975
Founded on the North Shore by the Sander family, Hollyburn Properties has served the North Shore community by providing quality rental housing for the past 40 years. Several Sander family members were born at LGH and continue to reside on the North Shore, creating strong personal ties to the community and to Lions Gate.
“The donation towards a new MRI machine for Lions Gate Hospital is a way for us to give back to the people and their families of this community, who have supported us for the past 40 years,” said Stephen Sander, Hollyburn founder.
Lions Gate Hospital Foundation board member Mark Hannah (L-R), Hollyburn Properties’ founder Stephen Sander, Foundation president Judy Savage, Dr. Kevin Rowan and Darrell Mussatto, City of North Vancouver Mayor at the $1 million cheque presentation at LGH.