Medical imaging is a fundamental part of efficient healthcare delivery. Whether an MRI, CT scan, or ultrasound, medical imaging equipment provides comprehensive diagnostic information that helps doctors and surgeons diagnose problems, track progression, and monitor the effectiveness of treatment.
Richmond Hospital Foundation is urging the community to come together to help fund its future medical imaging centre which will be part of Richmond Hospital’s new acute care tower, the Yurkovich Family Pavilion, slated to open in late 2027.
“The medical imaging centre is the heart of the hospital,” Richmond Hospital Foundation’s Campaign Director, Spencer Gall says.
“It serves patients of all ages throughout their health care journey.”
Richmond Hospital Foundation’s goal is to raise $20 million to fund imaging technologies essential for diagnosing and monitoring medical conditions. These include CT scanners, MRI machines, mammography machines, SPECT machines, X-ray machines, and interventional radiology machines.
A gift to Richmond Hospital Foundation means making a positive impact on the lives of those who need these specialized services, with an anticipation of close to 90% of patients requiring medical imaging services.
The future medical imaging centre will dramatically increase the number of patients served, with the new centre to be more than double the size of the current one.
This expanded capacity also means the addition of diagnostic equipment, which will help meet the needs of Richmond’s growing population.
By 2035, it is expected that usage at Richmond Hospital’s Medical Imaging Department will increase by more than 75%. This includes serving acutely ill patients from within the hospital and those patients referred through community-based services or family physicians.
“Richmond has one of the highest growing number of seniors in B.C.,” Gall says.
“The new centre will improve treatment, assist with early detection, and could also help minimize surgeries and shorten hospital stays.”
The future medical imaging centre will also include a satellite imaging centre in the emergency department, which means patients will have access to diagnostic testing without needing to transfer to other areas of the hospital.
Richmond Hospital Foundation is well on its way to meeting its $20 million goal, with over $15 million raised to date.
This includes an incredibly generous $10-million donation from the Milan and Maureen Ilich family, after whom the medical imaging centre will be named.
“When the family learned about the inclusion of a brand new medical imaging centre in the new tower, they decided to double their donation from $5 million to $10 million, with the hope that their gift will serve as an inspiration to others to come together and help fully equip and expand medical imaging services in Richmond,” Gall says.“We hope to encourage everyone to come together to support medical imaging and health care for all.”
A donation to Richmond Hospital Foundation’s medical imaging centre campaign will not only increase the specialized equipment and physical space, it will also provide Richmond with the best and latest tools and equipment to improve the lives of individuals and families.
To help Richmond Hospital Foundation meet its fundraising goal today, visit www.richmondhospitalfoundation.com/medical-imaging-centre-campaign.
