New breast MRI to serve patients of South West Health

The addition of new equipment at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital will mean enhanced services for residents of South West Health.

Chris d’Entremont, Minister of Health, announced on Monday, Nov. 17, that the Yarmouth Regional Hospital will expand its magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) service by adding breast MRI capabilities.

“The addition of breast MRI is part of the government’s plan to improve access to care by expanding diagnostic service in rural Nova Scotia”, said d’Entremont. “Providing this service closer to home will mean less travel for patients.”

The Yarmouth Hospital Foundation views the recent announcement of breast MRI service at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital as a significant advancement in screening and early detection of breast cancer in Southwest Nova Scotia.

“I’m very excited about what this new piece of equipment will do for reducing wait times and travel times for those requiring tests for breast cancer,” said Mark Muise, chair of the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation. “I would like to sincerely thank all our donors along with Honourable Chris d’Entremont, Minister of Health and Honourable Richard Hurlburt, MLA for Yarmouth for believing in this project.”

The ability to offer a breast MRI service in the tri-counties is a unique situation in that the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation responded to the needs of the community by paying for 100 per cent of the cost of the breast MRI. Monday’s announcement is made possible because the foundation exceeded its fundraising target of $750,000 as its share (25 per cent) of the overall cost of the MRI in 2005. Approximately $350,000 in excess was raised which was set aside to enhance MRI service and can now be used for the breast MRI.

“Not only will our patients benefit from enhanced diagnostic services closer to home, the availability of this type of modern equipment is invaluable when it comes to recruiting and retaining physicians and other health professionals,” said Ron Horrocks, South West Health board chair.

For many years the Yarmouth Regional Hospital has been the designated site in southwestern Nova Scotia for breast screening. The breast screening van covers an area from Kentville to Bridgewater.

Dr. Eric Woods is the medical director of the N.S. Breast Screening Program for South West Health. “Breast MRI is an invaluable component of a comprehensive breast imaging and care service, particularly with regards to screening women at high risk for the development of breast cancer and assessing those women who have biopsy proven high risk breast cancers,” he said.