Orillia hospital unveils $3.6M state-of-the-art MRI machine after years of fundraising efforts

It's out with the old and in with the new.

After years of fundraising efforts, Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital's (OSMH) new state-of-the-art MRI machine is officially operational, marking a community milestone.

An appreciation event was held on Tuesday at the Couchiching Brewery to commemorate fundraising efforts over three years to purchase the vital piece of equipment.

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"Today, we are celebrating our donors. We couldn't have done it without them. We've had some great support from major gift givers, [and] we've had great support from our community at large," said OSMH President and CEO Carmine Stumpo.

The hospital's existing MRI machine had been in service since 2007 and had become increasingly unreliable as it approached the end of its operational life, forcing some patients to seek MRI services out of town.

The new machine has several upgrades, making it more effective and comfortable for patients.

"We feel this equipment will have a huge impact on our ability to run our services seven days a week and will continue to work on our wait times," said Stumpo.

In the interim, the old MRI machine will continue to be used for a little longer to help clear the backlog of patients before it is officially decommissioned.