New MRI magnet arrives at Dartmouth hospital
It wasn’t Santa coming down the chimney with a sack full of presents, but a bigger gift when a 26,000-pound MRI magnet came down through the ceiling into the Dartmouth General Hospital Friday morning.
The hospital has been preparing the MRI suite that will house the new unit since mid-2023. Significant construction was needed, including reinforcing the floor of the suite to withstand the weight of the machine and creating an opening in the roof to lower the machine.
This is the first MRI suite for the hospital and was made possible through donations and government funding including from the Calder Family, which made a $500,000 donation. They have joined hundreds of other community members who have supported this fundraising effort, including the J & W Murphy Foundation, BMO, Joseph and Violet Diab and Mickey MacDonald.
The unit will be outfitted with a special orthopedics package to create 3-D images of hips and knees.
The Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation said in a release that the MRI will reduce the need for patients to travel to other zones for their scans, which will make accessing care much easier for people. It is expected to handle more than 400 scans a month.
Since its inception, the foundation has raised more than $50 million for new equipment, facilities, and programs.
