New MRI for South Shore Regional Hospital

Improving access to medical equipment close to home will mean better health care for Nova Scotians. That’s why government is helping to fund a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner for the South Shore Regional Hospital.

Government will cover the construction, procurement and installation of the new MRI scanner. The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore has launched a campaign to raise funds to buy the new piece of equipment.

The addition, part of the South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project, was announced today, Feb. 3, by Minister of Justice Mark Furey, on behalf of Health and Wellness Minister Leo Glavine.

“It is fantastic to see continued progress at the South Shore Regional Hospital,” said Mr. Furey. “A new MRI will mean more timely and convenient access to diagnostic imaging for the community, which is a key component of safe and high-quality care.”

The South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project was announced in April 2020, and represents a total provincial investment of $112.7 million. Work will include the expansion and renovation of the emergency department, endoscopy and day surgery units, physical plant and the addition of a dialysis unit.

Recent milestones include:

• site’s parking lot expanded
• construction management contract awarded to PCL Constructors Canada Inc. on Dec. 4, 2020
• trade package for civil works, including the construction of a new EHS driveway and a new road to connect the EHS driveway to the existing helipad, awarded to Dexter Construction Company Limited on Dec. 21, 2020
• preparation of additional construction tenders underway.

The South Shore Regional Hospital Redevelopment Project is a partnership with the Nova Scotia Health Authority, with contributions from the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore and South Shore Regional Hospital Auxiliary.

Quotes:

“The MRI is a welcome addition to the redevelopment project and is wonderful news for families, doctors and staff on the South Shore. It means fewer patients will have to travel or be transported for this important diagnostic service and will support recruitment of health-care providers to this community.”

– Tanya Nixon, vice president of operations, Western Zone, Nova Scotia Health

“Access to an MRI is a service our community, and the entire South Shore, has been wanting for a long time. The Health Services Foundation is very excited to see this project come to fruition through the ER redevelopment at South Shore Regional Hospital. It will be an integral part of our forthcoming $5-million capital campaign.”

– Eric Whynot, chair, Health Services Foundation of the South Shore Board of Directors

Quick Facts:

• the hospital was built in 1988. It has 85 inpatient beds, including medical, surgical, ICU, obstetrics and mental health units
• an MRI scanner is a diagnostic imaging tool that provides non-invasive, detailed images of internal organs and systems
• MRIs in Nova Scotia are typically used for more than 6,400 scans per year
• improved infrastructure helps with recruitment and retention of health-care professionals
• government is making the most significant infrastructure investment in Nova Scotia history to modernize health care facilities in Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Halifax Regional Municipality, Pugwash and across the province

Additional Resources:

Nova Scotia Health Care Redevelopment website: https://healthredevelopment.novascotia.ca/

Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Twitter: https://twitter.com/NS_TIR

Department of Health and Wellness Twitter: https://twitter.com/nshealth

Department of Health and Wellness Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NovaScotiaHealthAndWellness/