Ontario Expanding Access to MRI Services Dufferin-Caledon – Helping People Access Diagnostic Screening Faster and Closer to Home

NEWS                                                                                                                                                     

The Ontario government is improving people’s access to diagnostic imaging services and reducing wait times by investing over $800,000 to support the operations of 1 new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine at Headwaters Health Care Centre in Dufferin-Caledon.

“Our government is ensuring hospitals across the province, including Headwaters Healthcare Centre, have the funds they need to operate MRI machines and increase access to diagnostic testing in the communities they serve,’ said Sylvia Jones, MPP for Dufferin-Caledon. “This funding means that Dufferin-Caledon will have our first-ever MRI machine so our community can have more convenient access to care, closer to home.”

This funding will provide Headwaters with annual operational funding for 1 new MRI machine. For people in Dufferin-Caledon, this means they will have more convenient access to diagnostic imaging and no longer need to travel to receive an MRI scan.

“Magnetic Resonance Imaging will provide physicians at Headwaters with the ability to diagnose many illnesses in a more accurate and timely manner. We will also be able to support many patients in our community to receive more convenient access to MRI services, closer to home,” said Kim Delahunt, President & CEO of Headwaters.

“The addition of an MRI machine at Headwaters is incredible! It is a major step towards improving access to care that is so desperately needed in our community. The health care system has faced many challenges over the past three years. This news could not have come at a better time as we rebuild towards a better future,” said Dr. Grace Wang, Vice President, Medical Affairs and Chief of Staff.

Dr. Dan Mozeg, Chief of Diagnostic Imaging at HHCC added, “the addition of MRI will be truly transformational for our hospital, our patients and our community, allowing us to provide more comprehensive imaging closer to home and to diagnose many illnesses in a more timely and efficient manner.”

This funding is part of the government’s investment of over $20 million to support the operations of 27 new MRI machines in hospitals across Ontario. With more MRI services throughout the province, patients can be diagnosed faster and if needed, begin treatment and follow-up care even sooner.

Quick Facts:

  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive medical imaging technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to take detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body. MRIs are used to diagnose many health problems, including brain injuries, heart disease and various tumours and cancers.
  • This funding brings the total investment in operational funding for new MRI machines to $40 million, increasing the government’s 2021-22 commitment to invest $30 million by an additional $10 million to help hospitals increase MRI capacity and services. In total, the province is providing operational funding for 49 new MRI machines in 42 hospitals across the province.
  • As part of its Plan to Stay Open: Health System Stability and Recovery, through the Surgical Recovery Strategy, the government is adding more than 150,000 one-time additional operating hours in 2022-23 for hospital-based MRI and CT machines, ensuring better and more equitable access to diagnostic imaging services.
  • The Ontario government is investing over $300 million in 2022/23 as part of the province’s surgical recovery strategy, bringing the total investment to approximately $880 million over the last three fiscal years.

Additional Resources:

Media Contact:

Heather Grégoire, EA for Sylvia Jones, MPP Dufferin-Caledon

Heather.gregoire@pc.ola.org