New MRI service at South Shore Regional Hospital

Patients on the South Shore will soon have access to advanced diagnostic imaging closer to home with the new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suite at South Shore Regional Hospital. 

Minister of Emergency Management and MLA for Queens Kim Masland, Minister of Opportunities and Social Development and the MLA for Lunenburg Susan Corkum-Greek, along with Nick Hilton, MLA for Yarmouth and ministerial assistant to Minister of Health and Wellness Michelle Thompson, toured the MRI suite today with representatives from Nova Scotia Health, South Shore Health Foundation and Queens General Hospital Foundation. 

“MRI is a vital tool that helps diagnose conditions earlier, when treatment can be most effective, and this new machine will improve access to care for people across the South Shore,” said Hilton. “I want to thank the South Shore Health Foundation, the Queens General Hospital Foundation, and our partners at Nova Scotia Health for their support in helping deliver faster, better care to Nova Scotians."

The hospital’s first MRI will expand access to advanced diagnostic imaging in the region and add capacity to Nova Scotia’s provincial diagnostic imaging system. The MRI is expected to support approximately 3,000 patients in its first year, with volumes anticipated to increase over time. Patient appointments are expected to begin during the last week of June. 

“This is an important step forward for patients, families and care teams on the South Shore,” said Tanya Penney, Vice President of Operations for Nova Scotia Health's Western Zone. “Having this service available at South Shore Regional Hospital means more patients will be able to access advanced imaging closer to home, with less need to travel and greater support from their families and communities.” 

The MRI equipment was funded in part by a $725,000 donation from the Queens General Hospital Foundation to the South Shore Health Foundation’s Brighter Days capital campaign. Operational funding for MRI service is supported through provincial government investment. 

"The opening of the South Shore’s first MRI is a powerful example of what can happen when a community comes together around a shared vision,” said Arleen Stevens, CEO of the South Shore Health Foundation. “Through the Brighter Days Campaign, donors inspired change, invested in better healthcare, and helped transform health care on the South Shore for generations to come.”

The new service is part of the broader redevelopment work underway at South Shore Regional Hospital, which includes a new emergency department, a new dialysis unit, and expanded and upgraded spaces for endoscopy and day surgery.

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