ESTEVAN - The effort to bring an MRI scanner to St. Joseph's Hospital in Estevan continues, but there is still lots of work, including fundraising, to be done.
A pair of meetings were held earlier in April regarding the project. During the first, the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation board of directors approved the purchase agreements for the system and the construction.
Purchase orders were issued during the second meeting to Siemens Healthcare Canada for the MRI system and to SDI Canada for the modular MRI Cassette room, where the scanner will be located, and construction project.
"We're committed now, moving forward, with the project," said Corey Miller, the president and CEO of Emmanuel Health.
The project's estimated cost is below the projected budget of $6.3 million, Miller said, but the goal remains to raise $6.5 million to have a contingency. If there is extra money, it would stay in an endowment fund for future MRI needs.
"We might need to buy an extra coil, or we might need some extra equipment that's part of the MRI that we decide we want two years from now or a year from now, or it might be future needs for the system."
According to the foundation's website, as of April 10, more than $5.2 million had been raised, which is 81 per cent of the goal.
He pointed out the contract management team will be using local contractors as they go through the project.
"Things like doing the excavation, pouring the concrete, pulling all of the electrical and upgrading our generators, they will be using local contractors, and they will be the ones co-ordinating the whole project," said Miller.
"This is a community project, and it was important to us that we were partnering with a vendor who has done these projects before and who will be using local contractors."
Siemens, meanwhile, likely has the largest market share of MRIs for North America and globally.
St. Joseph's was part of the provincial request for proposals that the Saskatchewan Health Authority Department of Medical Imaging does annually, he said. They put out a large tender for
medical imaging equipment that included MRIs, CT scanners, nuclear medicine cameras, x-rays, portable x-rays and ultrasounds.
"We were part of the MRI selection committee, so we got to participate in reviewing all of the binders and reviewing all of the options. There is now a provincial contract that allowed us to choose one or two vendors. There's two successful vendors, and through our selection process, chose Siemens Canada."
Construction design planning is set to start in May, Miller said, and they're hoping to be fully operational in the spring of 2026.
"We still have to work through all of our staffing needs, but we have been having success talking to MRI techs that are in the area, or who are going to be available by the time we open."
Even though the full $6.5 million isn't in place, when dealing with purchase agreements, the hospital had to put money down.
"We're not waiting to start. We're going to be raising money while we're building."
Hospital executive director Candace Kopec was pleased with the meetings that took place in Estevan and the decisions made, and is looking forward to the construction of the building that will house the MRI. Kopec said an addition is needed in the diagnostic imaging area to accommodate the MRI.
"We wouldn't have adequate space within the facility for an MRI, as well as the construction needs, due to the fact that the MRI is a big magnet. Some specific needs are required, which is why … we feel comfortable moving forward that SDI is going to meet our needs for this MRI project," said Kopec.
She noted the hospital has expanded significantly over the past five years, including the addition of 32 addictions treatment beds.
Having Miller as part of the MRI push has been a big help, she said. Prior to joining Emmanuel Health, Miller was involved with medical imaging and nuclear medicine for the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
"He has been involved with five MRIs in the province, because this was his previous portfolio," said Kopec.
So many people have been involved with getting the campaign to this point, Kopec said, starting with Elaine Walkom and her $2 million donation in memory of her late husband Grant.
"For a community to raise over $5.2 million in one year, that's unheard of. I've never seen anything like it," said Kopec.
The southeast had some of the longest MRI wait times in the province, Kopec said, and St. Joseph's is bringing a service to the region that will help with diagnosis and treatment while reducing travel times.
St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation executive director Lori Gervais is thrilled with the support that continues to roll in, but the fundraising work continues, and the foundation is open to ideas. "There is future costs, always," said Gervais. "When the final bill comes in for this entire project … if we have extra that gets invested for the future, especially with technology of this sort … there's always upgrades, there's always software, there's always things like that, so … it would be designated for future costs of this project."
The foundation has also changed the name of the campaign to Together We Will from Together We Can to reflect the promise of the project and the progress made.
Gervais was pleased with how the meeting went, and that Miller and Emmanuel Health want to keep the foundation in the loop about the contracts because the foundation is doing the work with the fundraising.
"I honestly feel like there's been a lot of people inquiring and interested in the project, and following along and seeing that there are things moving forward, and the project itself is coming to reality. You're going to be able to see it soon. You're going to be able to see the progress being made and the slab being poured and the construction started," said Gervais.
"There are people who have been interested in that progress and maybe will step forward to donate at that time when they see that this is a for-real thing."
The hospital foundation is also preparing for the annual Radiothon for Life, which will take place May 21 and will support the MRI campaign.
SaskToday will continue to have coverage of the effort to bring an MRI to the southeast.
