Shortest wait times in province for MRIs

Quinte Health Care (QHC) has the shortest wait times in the province for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs).

Compared to the provincial average of 106 days between January and March 2016, patients who visited QHC Belleville General Hospital for an MRI experienced an average wait time of just 19 days.

“Through persistent diligence of improving patient flow process and updating imaging protocol standards, the MRI team has proven that we can do anything we put our minds to,” said Dr. Annette Polanski, Chief of Diagnostic Imaging & Division Head Radiology for Quinte Health Care.

The Diagnostic Imaging team is one of 30 teams at QHC making improvements to create efficiencies. Without increasing the operational dollar, they have expanded their hours, shortened their protocols and are seeing approximately eight to 10 more patients per day.

“Our technologists have been willing to adapt, they’ve been patient and amazingly understanding through the numerous protocol changes that helped get us to this point,” said Polanski. “We have an amazing team of radiologists who are supporting imaging protocol standards and they too have played a very significant role in the success of reducing our wait times. Our physicians (Dr. Patel and Dr. Bhan) have been instrumental in updating us to current imaging practice standards in Neuro and Body, and our clerical staff is our face to the community and our enablers to being able to image patients in the most effective manner possible.”

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute is currently sitting in second place with an average wait time of 25 days.