Chair of MRI task force in Chilliwack underscores importance of MRI access

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CHILLIWACK – The chair of the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) task force for the past 18 months in Chilliwack says it can’t be understated how essential it is for Chilliwack residents to access MRI services when it matters most.

Leanna Kemp, who has served as chair of the Chilliwack Hospital Foundation, says it’s critically important for Chilliwack-area residents to access an MRI at Chilliwack General Hospital.

“Chilliwack is growing, and our population is aging. Right now, people from Chilliwack, Agassiz, Hope and the surrounding area have to travel to Abbotsford or farther for an MRI,” said Kemp. “For a senior without a ride, a parent who has to take a day off work, or someone who is already unwell, that trip is a real barrier. An MRI at Chilliwack General Hospital means faster answers, care closer to home, and less pressure on Abbotsford and the regional wait list.”

For the past 18 months, as chair of the Chilliwack Hospital Foundation, she’s chaired a task force that has been working diligently to bring a permanent MRI to CGH.

Just yesterday, Councillor Jason Lum called on the five provincial MLA candidates running in two Chilliwack ridings to commit to two critical health care investments, one of which was a permanent MRI at Chilliwack General Hospital. Lum said installing an MRI at Chilliwack General Hospital would enhance access to diagnostic imaging for local residents, and potentially reduce pressure on Abbotsford Regional Hospital and regional MRI wait lists.

“Jason Lum has been at that table with me, along with partners from Fraser Health and others who care deeply about this community,” Leanna Kemp told Fraser Valley Today. “We were told this would be a four-phase project, and we’ve done the work. Phase one, the scoping study, was funded by a generous local donor through the Chilliwack Hospital Foundation. Phase two, the feasibility study to confirm the location and type of machine, was completed in partnership with Fraser Health. Every partner did their part, and our team stayed on top of every timeline to keep this moving. Phase three is provincial approval, and that is where we are stuck. That’s hard to accept, because Chilliwack has already stepped up.”

Health care capital is a provincial responsibility, Kemp pointed out, but Chilliwack has done more than its fair share, Kemp said. For example, Chilliwack has raised significant funds through local foundations, ready to put toward this project.

“Chilliwack came together on this one, the way it always does when it matters,” Kemp said. “I also support restoring the Bradley Centre project. That redevelopment was announced, the land was acquired, and then it was deferred. Our seniors deserve care close to home, and when long-term care beds aren’t there, it puts pressure on the whole hospital. We can’t let the MRI go the same way. I fully support the call for every provincial candidate in Chilliwack North and Chilliwack-Cultus Lake to commit to approving and funding this MRI. The work is done. The community is ready. Our community has shown it cares about its people. Now we need the province to show the same. Let’s get it built.”