Community HealthCare System has installed a new, state-of-the art magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, machine. The FUJIFILM Echelon Oval boasts the widest wide-bore opening in the industry as well as optimal image quality.

According to Jason McKinsey, CHCS Radiology Manager, the new MRI at Onaga Community Hospital has many features to make it more comfortable for patients.

“The Echelon Oval offers a wider opening and a wider table to make it comfortable for everyone from kids to large adults, and we strive to deliver a relaxing experience by providing patients’ requested music,” McKinsey said.

Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, revolutionized medicine since its development in the 1970s. The technology, which became widespread in the early 1990s, offers highly detailed images that help providers diagnose everything from ligament injuries to aneurysms – and all without radiation.

“Magnetic resonance imaging sounds big and scary, but an MRI is non-invasive and painless. The scan provides your providers with essential information about your body that no other imaging modality can,” McKinsey said.

The new MRI comes with a variety of dedicated body and extremity coils, which means scans for a hand, wrist, foot, or ankle, for example, will be more comfortable and produce high-quality, detailed images.

CHCS providers are pleased with the new MRI and its capabilities.

“The new MRI machine in Onaga has elevated our ability to deliver state-of-the-art care in a rural setting,” said Dr. Cancelada, CHCS surgeon. 

“With an MRI, you can evaluate gallstones in the common bile duct, whereas before, you needed to have an actual procedure under anesthesia. You can see the pancreas in better detail and distinguish different lesions in the liver. The ability to diagnose certain soft tissue lesions or brain and spinal cord lesions can be better than other imaging modalities,” Cancelada said.