Sandhills Regional approved for fixed MRI

Sandhills Regional Medical Center has received approval for a fixed MRI.

The official certificate arrived Thursday from the Certificate of Need Section, Division of Health Service Regulation, Department of Health and Human Services.

“This is great news for not only our hospital but for the entire community as it will expand our MRI scanning services and improve access and convenience for our patients,” said Andy Davis, SHRMC CEO.

The hospital currently uses a mobile Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner two days per week. Having a fixed MRI scanner will increase usage to at least five days per week, Davis said.

“I am very pleased that we will be able to offer this high tech service to our customers on a full-time basis,” said Bob Driggers, SHRMC Radiology director. “This will allow our patients to have an MRI scan done in a timely and expedient manner, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment.”

A fixed MRI will reduce the delay for patient diagnostic care in the emergency department, allow improvement in scheduling for inpatient and outpatient scans, and help communicate immediate diagnosis to the medical center’s active medical staff.

Davis said this endeavor could not have been accomplished without the overwhelming support of local citizens, patients and physicians, businesses and government leaders who wrote letters in support of the MRI application. “We share this accomplishment with members of this community who helped to make it happen.”

“We have a dedication to this community to continuously bring new services closer to home,” Davis said. “We’re excited to continue our growth and to be able to soon offer this important improvement in healthcare to our patients.”

The fixed MRI was included in the 2008 State Medical Facilities Plan for Richmond County. If there are no delays, the MRI scanner should be constructed and in operation in a year.

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