A milestone $150,000 donation to Mackay Base Hospital will improve patient safety and expand access to more advanced medical imaging services by purchasing state-of-the-art equipment.
The Medical Imaging department has now upgraded to the Expression MR400 MRI Patient Monitoring System, a specialised piece of equipment valued at $189,000 that allows clinicians to continuously monitor a patient's vital signs throughout an MRI scan.
The purchase of the upgraded equipment was made possible by a generous $151,000 donation from Flagon and Dragon Mackay, with the remaining $40,000 funded by My Hospital Foundation.
Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS) Chief Executive Sean Birgan said the new monitoring system represented a significant advancement for medical imaging services and would support safer care for some of the hospital's most vulnerable patients.
Unlike previous conventional monitoring equipment, the MR400 has been specifically designed for use in the MRI environment.
“It enables clinicians to continuously monitor critical physiological information including heart rhythm, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, carbon dioxide levels, respiration, temperature and anaesthetic agents throughout a scan,” Mr Birgan said.
“This capability is particularly important for critically ill patients, children, patients requiring sedation or anaesthesia, cardiac patients and those undergoing lengthy or complex MRI procedures.
“We are very grateful to Flagon and Dragon and their sponsors and supporters for this very generous donation, which will deliver significant clinical benefits to our local patients.”
Mackay Base Hospital Chief Radiographer Celia O’Meara said the MR400 opened the door to more advanced and specialised MRI services being delivered locally. The system provided real-time monitoring and alarms, allowing clinicians to quickly identify any signs of physiological deterioration in very ill patients and intervene if required.
This enhanced patient safety and provided additional reassurance for both patients and healthcare teams during imaging procedures.
“With the generosity of Flagon and Dragon and the My Hospital Foundation, Mackay Base Hospital is now equipped with more advanced technology that improves patient safety, further expands our local imaging capabilities and will help us deliver world-class care for years to come,” Ms O’Meara said.
The new technology supports higher-acuity imaging procedures, including MRI under anaesthesia, cardiac MRI and functional MRI. It can also assist in safely imaging patients with pacemakers and other complex cardiac conditions, she said.
“For a regional referral hospital such as Mackay Base Hospital, this means more patients may be able to access specialised imaging services closer to home, reducing the need for travel to metropolitan centres and helping patients receive diagnosis and treatment sooner,” she said.
The new equipment further strengthened Mackay Base Hospital's ability to deliver high-level healthcare services across the region and supports improved access to specialist imaging for rural and remote patients.
The system will enhance multidisciplinary collaboration between radiology, anaesthetics, intensive care and other clinical teams, helping ensure complex patients can be safely managed closer to home.
Funding for the MR400 MRI Patient Monitoring System was a powerful example of how community generosity could directly improve healthcare outcomes for local patients.
Flagon and Dragon president Scott Jamieson said the Mackay-based biennial charity event and non-profit club was dedicated to raising funds for sick and disabled children.
“We are incredibly proud this milestone donation is supporting important healthcare initiatives and ultimately improving health outcomes across the region,” Mr Jamieson said.
“Flagon and Dragon would like to thank our amazing sponsors and the incredible support we receive from the local business community; without them, we couldn’t make the significant impact we do,” he said.
My Hospital Foundation also recognised the significant clinical benefits the upgraded equipment would provide for patients and contributed the remaining $40,000 required to bring the project to fruition.