Night shifts cut Montreal MRI waits

Montreal's McGill University Health Centre has wrestled down wait times from a matter of months to days for some of the most in-demand MRI exams.

The two magnetic resonance imaging machines at the Montreal General and at the Royal Victoria Hospital are now running two shifts daily.

The second shift, which has been introduced gradually over the past few months, now keeps the MRIs humming from 7:30 a.m. until 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Ryan Rezak, an MRI technologist at the Royal Victoria Hospital, said the second shift has been so successful, the hospital is able to ease not only its own backlogs but alsothose at the Montreal Neurological Institute next door.

"They have about a year, year and a half backlog with their scanning," said Rezak. "And because we've opened up this shift, we are alleviating some of their problems."

Staff shortages at root of issue

Dr. Raquel del Carpio, associate director of radiology at the MUHC, said shortages of radiation technologists and radiologists were keeping the machine parked for hours at a time.

"These are highly educated professionals that are key to our functioning," said del Carpio. "We are very short, very short of them. That is the reason why this huge valuable machine goes idle for many hours.

' It is not acceptable to have a machine as useful as this one idle.' Raquel del Carpio, MUHC associate director of radiology

"There were weekends for several months where we were workingeight hours. It is not acceptable to have a machine as useful as this one idle."

Under the new system, the nights and weekends are reserved for less complicated cases, such as knee and spine scans, that can be handled by radiation technologists on their own.

The day shifts are reserved for the more sensitive cases, like cancer and internal organ scans, that require the presence of a radiologist.

The hospitals are also making a bigger effort to call in people down the waiting list when there are cancellations.

Del Carpio said the entire MRI team from the clerks to the technologists to the radiologists is buying into the idea that the machine should never sit idle, as long as it's staffed.

Other hospitals doing the same

Health officials are now working on getting a second MRI machine for the Montreal General, since it is designated as a trauma centre.

'Our patients could be served better if we had another scanner.' Raquel del Carpio, MUHC associate director of radiology

"What we need urgently here at the Montreal General Hospital and we needed it 10 years ago is at least a second MRI scanner. At least one more. Our patients could be served better if we had another scanner," she said.

However, del Carpio said there is no financial commitment yet to make that happen.

All three French-language hospitals belonging to the University of Montreal Hospital Centre network already have evening and weekend shifts in place.