CARIBOU, Maine – On Friday, Sept. 22, Cary Medical Center installed a new and advanced magnetic resonance imaging instrument that will improve image quality and patient comfort.
The MRI was installed by a large crane on Friday morning. Hospital leadership, radiology staff and other onlookers watched as the 11,000 pound Canon Vantage Fortian 1.5T Magnetic Resonance Imaging System was lowered into the MRI suite. Over the next two weeks an installation crew will complete setting up the equipment and prepare for testing.
Kris Doody, RN, CEO for Cary Medical Center said that the new technology will be a great benefit for patients, “It was really amazing to watch the magnet being lowered into the building knowing that this will provide our patients and their providers with not only the advanced technology but a whisper quiet exam, and a much larger opening to improve the patient’s experience. Our patients deserve the very best diagnostic imaging and we are so happy that we can make this available right here, close to home.”
The new instrument replaces the former MRI that was installed in 2001. Shawn Laferriere, DO, and medical director of Cary’s Radiology Department said that the new technology is faster and has other advantages. “The new instrument is much faster than our previous MRI which means the patient will spend less time in the unit. The image quality is extremely high and will be important for patients who may have to go to hospitals outside of the area for additional care. The other institutions will have these quality images available to them. The unit also features the largest bore in Maine and offers a unique theatre experience to further enhance patient comfort.”
Purchasing and installing the new MRI has been a couple of years in development and follows the installation of a new CT Scan earlier this year. The new MRI and CT Scan offer some of the most advanced imaging available. Brandon Lavoie, R.T.(R) (CT) Radiology Department manager said that his team was very excited with the arrival of the new equipment.
“Our team is just very excited to have the new MRI and to know the benefit it will bring to our patients,” said Lavoie. “The goal of our team is to provide the very best, most advanced service that we can and this new MRI will certainly help us to meet that goal.”
Doody, who is also CEO for Pines Health Services, said that the advanced technology is only part of the picture and that the team in the hospital’s radiology department really completes the patient experience.
“The new technology is wonderful,” said Doody. “But the people who provide imaging studies for our patients are really extraordinary. They maintain that culture of caring so unique to our hospital. We have such a great team in radiology and we are so proud of the quality care they deliver.”
Installation, staff training, and testing should be completed over the next several weeks with a go live date later in October.
Cary Medical Center is a 63-bed acute care hospital well known for its patient-centered services. We are a community of providers committed to excellence in healthcare and to improving the lives of those we serve. We are actively engaged in advancing the health and wellness needs of people in Aroostook County, including the unserved and underserved. Cary Medical Center and Pines Health Services are equal opportunity providers and employers.
