KENORA – The Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation's campaign to bring MRI services to Kenora has been a resounding success.
The Beyond the Scan campaign was launched in 2024 with the goal of raising $8.5 million to purchase a state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suite for the hospital, ensuring that patients won’t have to travel five hours to Thunder Bay for essential services.
The foundation was able to not only hit their target, but raised an additional $1 million, which the Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation credits to the Mississauga-based FDC Foundation matching donations up to $2 million.
“The community rose to the challenge — and quickly,” said Ashley Hendy, board chair, in a news release. “This isn’t just about equipment. It’s about ensuring that people we love have access to the very best care, right here at home.”
MRI is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to take detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body. It can be used in the diagnosis of various health problems, including tumours, heart disease and brain injuries.
Nearly 1,600 square feet of space in the hospital will be renovated to house the suite.
In addition to an MRI machine, the money will be used to replace the hospital’s CT scanner and an advanced mammography unit. The mammography unit was installed in November of last year.
The extra $1 million raised will be included in $3.5 million of upgrades in multiple departments, including replacing the central monitoring system, which allows care teams to monitor vital signs in real times.
Construction of the MRI suite is underway and is expected to be operational this fall.
-With files from Gary Rinne.