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Prefabricated MRI unit placed at Headwaters Health Care Centre

August 7, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Paula Brown

Headwaters Health Care Centre (HHCC) has reached another milestone in bringing the community its first-ever magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suite.

The local hospital marked the official arrival and placement of the prefabricated unit that will house their new MRI suite. The unit, called a cassette, arrived at Headwaters Hospital shortly after noon on Tuesday (Aug. 5) and was lifted by a crane onto a foundation pad.

“Headwaters Health Care Centre is proud to deliver patient-centred quality care with the arrival of the Morningview Foundation MRI Suite. The MRI Suite marks a transformative moment for health care in Dufferin-Caledon,” said Kim Delahunt, president and CEO of Headwaters Hospital. “For the first time, residents will have access to MRI services right here in our community, helping to reduce wait times, eliminate long travel distances, and support earlier diagnoses and treatment.”

In 2022, Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones announced that the Ontario government would be committing more than $800,000 in annual operating funding for the first MRI suite in the community. 

Headwaters Hospital was one of 49 hospitals across Ontario included in the provincial government’s announcement of expanding MRI and CT scan services in an effort to reduce wait times. 

“Our government is protecting Ontario’s health-care system by ensuring that more people in Orangeville and across Dufferin County can connect to convenient diagnostic care, where and when they need it,” said Sylvia Jones, MPP for Dufferin-Caledon, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “With the installation of Headwaters Health Care Centre’s brand-new modular MRI machine, we are making it faster and easier for more people to access vital diagnostic imaging in the community, for years to come.”

In 2024, Headwaters reported that there are approximately 4,000 annual scans that are being referred to other facilities for MRI, meaning the new suite will meet a significant demand for bringing more diagnostic imaging services closer to home for patients. 

Once the MRI Suite is up and functioning, Headwaters said they expect to be able to complete up to 8,000 scans a year, helping to reduce wait times.

The location of the new MRI Suite is near the hospital’s Ambulatory Care Clinic and Emergency Department. The spot was chosen to accommodate the electric and mechanical infrastructure requirements of the MRI Suite. 

The MRI Suite is an entirely prefabricated unit, designed with four zones that specify the level of increasing magnetic exposure.  

“This exciting new MRI Scanner is a game changer for the Dufferin–Caledon community. The MRI advanced technology allows us to capture high-quality diagnostic images with greater precision and most importantly, enables patient to access this level of care closer to home,” said Rosie Lye, HHCC’s senior MRI technologist.

When construction is completed, healthcare providers can refer patients over the age of eight to Headwaters for services including abdominals, pelvic, brain, spine, breast, and musculoskeletal imaging.

Construction of the MRI Suite at Headwaters was originally projected to be completed earlier this year, but due to delays, is now anticipated to be operating by Fall 2025.

For more information about the MRI Suite visit, www.headwatershealth.ca.

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