BELLEVILLE, NJ — Clara Maass Medical Center, a facility of RWJBarnabas Health, opened a new MRI machine to better meet the needs of the communities it serves with a $534,000 grant received from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, according to a May 14 press release. The funding comes with a challenge grant of up to $250,000 to match, dollar for dollar, the money that CMMC raises, from the HFNJ. The donation will allow the hospital to enhance patient care at CMMC with an on-site MRI suite to assist in the diagnosis of a variety of medical pathologies.
“The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey’s generous donation will ensure that we have the necessary resources to improve the health, well-being and quality of care for the communities we serve throughout northern New Jersey while working to reduce disparities in access to essential imaging services,” CMMC President and CEO Mary Ellen Clyne said.
“We are pleased and proud that this grant will enable Clara Maass Medical Center to improve the quality of care it provides to the people of this community,” said Marsha Atkind, executive director of the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.
The new, state-of-the-art MRI suite is located on the first floor of the main hospital. The MRI suite includes a private patient changing room with lockers, two patient bays, a scan room, an equipment room, a control room and a spacious area devoted to storage. The MRI suite is equipped with negative room pressure capabilities, increasing patient safety further. Negative room pressurization is an isolation technique used in hospitals and medical centers to prevent cross-contamination of airborne pathogens from room to room.
“The new MRI suite and its many advanced features certainly is a game-changer for Clara Maass Medical Center, and we could not have brought life to this project without support from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey” said Celeste A. Oranchak, vice president of foundation and development at Clara Maass.
The MRI will allow for diagnostic testing that is available 24/7 to best meet the needs of the medical center’s patients. In addition, the turnaround time for MRI exams and results will be reduced, improving the timeline for the creation of a patient’s plan of care, thereby providing timely access to treatment.
The new MRI has the latest Philips BlueSeal magnet technology to eliminate reliance on helium. This revolutionary magnet operates with only 7 liters of liquid helium and is fully sealed; the average MRI unit uses 1,700 liters of liquid helium. CMMC is the first in the RWJBarnabas Health System to feature this cutting-edge technology, enhancing the safety of staff and patients.
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