Upgraded MRI machine operational at Northern Lights

FORT McMURRAY – Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services resumed today at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, following the installation of an upgraded MRI machine.

The upgraded MRI machine increases the speed of scanning, allows for enhanced patient comfort during procedures and improves the quality of images. It replaces the previous MRI machine, installed in 2007, which had reached the end of its service life.

MRI scans enable healthcare providers and researchers to examine the inside of the human body in high detail. It has many uses, including to look for injuries or anomalies of the joints, diseases of the liver and other abdominal organs, anomalies of the brain and spinal cord, and tumours and cysts in various parts of the body.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.