UM Shore Regional Health Installs New State-of-the-Art MRI, Breast Coil

University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) recently installed a new, state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine at the UM Shore Regional Health Diagnostic and Imaging Center at Easton. MRI scanning uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body. These images are used to diagnose and monitor a number of diseases and health concerns, as well as to plan a patient’s course of treatment. MRIs can be used to examine most parts of the body, including the brain and spinal cord, bones and joints, breasts, heart, blood vessels, and internal organs such as the liver, pancreas and kidneys.

The new MRI machine was purchased with capital funds secured by UM SRH.

“This new MRI equipment is a phenomenal addition to our Diagnostic and Imaging Center,” says Penny Olivi, director, Diagnostic Imaging, UM SRH. “It is identical to the one used in the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, which speaks to the level of quality in medical imaging implemented throughout the University of Maryland Medical System. Having this new MRI, and bringing together the best of the best in skilled and highly trained medical imaging providers — this is how we continue to offer the high quality of care people have come to expect from Shore Regional Health.”

Lead MRI Technician Herman Higgins stands next to the new MRI machine at University of Maryland Shore Regional Health Diagnostic and Imaging Center in Easton.

Olivi says another unique feature of the MRI equipment is how comfortable it is. She says many MRIs tend to make people feel claustrophobic, but the new machine at the Diagnostic and Imaging Center at Easton allows patients the ability to see outside the “bore,” which is the size of the opening in which the patient lies within the machine.

“We have done everything we can to ensure our patients are comfortable, from ensuring there is a wide bore to reduce claustrophobia, to making sure the MRI room is calming. We want our patients to have as pleasant an experience as possible,” Olivi says.

Another recent and important purchase accompanying the acquisition of this new MRI is the new MRI breast coil. The breast coil is a signal receiver that works with the MRI to produce more detailed images of the breast for patients and is part of UM SRH’s full complement of breast imaging technologies. Purchase of the breast coil for the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center was made possible by funds raised through UM Memorial Hospital Foundation’s 2019 Sporting Clays Classic.

“The Memorial Hospital Foundation, the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center and the UM Sporting Clays Classic Committee greatly appreciate the support of our local communities,” says F. Graham Lee, vice president, Philanthropy, UM SRH. “In 2019, the Sporting Clays Classic had 226 shooters and over 60 sponsors who helped net $84,749 to purchase the MRI breast coil. The Memorial Hospital Foundation raises charitable donations to help ensure we have state-of-the-art equipment that provides the best possible care for our patients.”

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,200 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.