'Thousands of patients won’t have to travel': Elgin County’s first MRI machine unveiled at STEGH

Rebecca Kapogiannis, Mary Lou Crowley, Jeff Yurek, Dan Ross, and Karen Davies pose at a ribbon cutting for the new Diagnostic Imaging Department at ST. Thomas Elgin General Hospital on Oct. 1, 2024. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

It’s a new era for health care in Elgin County.

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) has unveiled its new MRI machine and Diagnostic Imaging Department.

“Many of us in this room have been waiting years for this day to be able to say the MRI is here, it's open, and it's functioning,” said Karen Davies, president and CEO of STEGH. “We're transforming the experience of patients that need healthcare here. It's not just about getting better technology and digitization of what's happening here, but thousands of people now no longer have to travel outside of Elgin County to have an MRI.”

STEGH’s new MRI machine will offer advanced 3D imaging technology that enables more precise diagnoses, earlier detection of diseases, and enhanced treatment monitoring—all within the community.

Those patients had previously needed to travel to Chatham, Woodstock, or London for these services.

“I'm very, very happy to announce that we've reached 94 per cent of our $8 million goal,” said Jeff Yurek, chair of the Transforming Tomorrow campaign. “I'd love to hit the 100 per cent before the end of the year. We also want to announce we are up to 75 per cent of the $1-million matching grants so far from the FDC Foundation. Another $250,000 to match and we’ll add $500,000 to our campaign, which should take us over the top.”

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital has unveiled the first MRI machine in the history of Elgin County on Oct. 1, 2024. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

The STEGH Foundation calls this unveiling a “milestone” but says “there is more work to do.”

“For the past 18 months, this community has been so generous and has embraced the foundation,” said Mary Lou Crowley, president & CEO of the STEGH foundation. “If we can raise that few hundred thousand [dollars] more, we can surpass our goal. With corporate support coming in as well we can get there. The FDC Foundation in Toronto helps support smaller, rural community foundations as well as academia and we’ve been working with them for the past year and a half. We can’t thank them enough.”

Yurek has been working for years, since his time as Elgin-Middlesex London MPP to bring this machine to St. Thomas.

“Health care matters in rural Ontario,” said Yurek. “Elgin County and St. Thomas deserve just as equal healthcare opportunities as, say, Toronto. That's what we're delivering here is a new MRI machine, a new diagnostic imaging centre. I can look forward to the next project.”