MLAs Tyler DesRoches, from left, and Barb Ramsay, join Dr. Guy Boswall, Health Minister Cory Deagle and Health P.E.I. COO Corinne Rowswell in announcing a partnership that will allow the health-care providers in the province to refer patients for an MRI scan at a private clinic in Summerside, rather than having to travel to Moncton. Photo by Kristin Gardiner /Journal PioneerArticle contentSUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — A new partnership between the province and a private Summerside clinic has a goal of reducing wait times for Islanders in need of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentOn Aug. 4, Health P.E.I. announced that they are joining forces with Summerside Diagnostic Imaging Centre, which has been doing scans for the past eight months.Article contentArticle content“Our group decided that there was a need, as we saw patients leaving P.E.I. to go to Moncton to have MRIs done,” said Dr. Guy Boswall.Article contentArticle content“We felt that that was something that should be provided on Prince Edward Island, so we sat down, made a plan. It took probably six to eight months to get to a point where we had the MRI here, and we’re functioning.”Article contentNow, with the addition of a provincial partnership, the clinic will be conducting MRI scans on patients referred to it by Health P.E.I. and have the province pay for the scan, rather than those patients travelling to New Brunswick for the appointment.Article contentNon-urgent casesArticle contentBoswall said he is happy to partner with the province, and believes it will be a benefit to Islanders.Article content“It certainly should help with wait times,” said Boswall. “It means patients don’t have to leave Prince Edward Island for what is a pretty basic diagnostic examination, at this point in time.”Article content Dr. Guy Boswall hopes that a partnership between Building With Vision Ltd. and Health P.E.I., allowing the province to refer people to get an MRI at Summerside Diagnostic Imaging Centre, will help reduce wait times for patients. Photo by Kristin Gardiner /Journal PioneerArticle contentAn MRI, he explained, is a machine that can image almost every part of a person’s body, looking at anything from an injury to cancer. The less time someone has to wait for a scan, the quicker a patient can get answers, peace of mind and treatment.Article contentArticle contentWait times for an MRI depend on how urgent the need is. The province aims for a 14 day wait time for urgent conditions, 28 days for semi-urgent, and 84 days for those deemed non urgent.Article contentArticle contentCurrently, around half of urgent patients get an appointment in less than nine days, patients with semi-urgent or non-urgent conditions, meanwhile are expected to wait longer than the target: 38 days and 133 days, respectively.Article contentAccess to careArticle contentClosing that gap for less urgent MRIs is exactly why Health P.E.I. has spent the last few months working to make this partnership reality, said Corinne Rowswell, chief operating officer for the health authority.Article content“We’re starting to schedule next week,” she said. “If all things remain current, we anticipate by the end of the fiscal year, having that backlog cleared.”Article content Health P.E.I. Chief Operating Officer Corinne Rowswell, said that while wait times for urgent MRI scans are above target, those with less urgant conditions find themselves waiting longer. Now that health care providers can refer patients to a private clinic in Summerside for an MRI, she hopes the wait time gap will close. Photo by Kristin Gardiner /Journal PioneerArticle contentRowswell added that she is excited by the partnership and for Islanders to have better access to the care that they need.Article content“The anxiety that people feel when they can’t access and don’t know when they’re gonna access it, I think is part of it too,” she said.Article content“Knowing that we can tell them, when they’re being referred for an MRI, that they can expect to get one in a timely fashion, it’s really meaningful for the health care providers … and their patients.”Article contentArticle contentStay informed: Don’t miss the news you need to know. Sign up for our newsletter today.Article contentArticle contentKristin Gardiner is a reporter for the Journal Pioneer in Prince Edward Island. She can be reached at kgardiner@postmedia.com.Article content
Health P.E.I. partnership with private Summerside clinic aims to reduce MRI wait times
