As part of our commitment to provide an exceptional patient experience, Oak Valley Health has completed construction on a new innovative 2,465 sq. ft. interventional radiology (IR) suite with the first in Canada GE AlliaTM IGS 7 system giving patients even more access to leading-edge treatments and procedures.
“We are excited to be able to offer our patients from Markham, Stouffville and Uxbridge communities and beyond the latest technology that was designed to be minimally invasive, efficient, and reduce patient anxiety,” says Jo-anne Marr, President and CEO at Oak Valley Health. “Our community will continue to receive the highest quality of care in a comfortable, spacious and modern environment, close to home.”
Using highly advanced imaging guidance, the GE Allia IGS 7 will allow interventional radiologists to diagnose and treat complex and intricate cases using minimally invasive procedures.
“Oak Valley Health has leading diagnostic services and medical/surgical care focused on meeting the needs of a rapidly growing community,” says Dr. Mitesh Mehta. “IR offers patients a less painful procedure with less blood loss, lower risk of infection, and faster recovery time.”
“With this new technology, it will allow us to see more than 2,000 patients a year, up from 1,218 patients in the past,” says Dr. Mehta.
As part of the IR suite redevelopment, an ultraviolet light sterilization system was installed within the ductwork, in addition to the already stringent air filtration systems found in modern hospitals. Also a first in Ontario is the use of a UV Room Disinfector, mounted at ceiling level, using smart sensors to disinfect the room after every use. The disinfector in combination with effective cleaning protocols increases confidence that we are eliminating the spread of hospital acquired infections while conducting invasive procedures.
The centrepiece of the new IR Suite is the Allia™ IGS 7 image guided therapy system developed by GE Healthcare. With its laser-guided mobile robotic gantry, the Allia imaging system enables patients to be precisely positioned for minimally invasive techniques. The system is ergonomic and easy to use since it can be personalized for the physician’s clinical needs, even in the most complex working positions.
“The backlog in non-urgent patient care, combined with today’s growing disease burden demands new solutions to help clinicians manage today’s evolving needs,” says Heather Chalmers, President & CEO, GE Canada. “Powered by GE Healthcare’s Edison™ intelligence platform, the Allia imaging system offers the first AI-driven imaging chain that may reduce radiation dose and contrast for interventional procedures. Ultimately, this will enable the team at Oak Valley Health to increase patient access and surgical capacity for the York, Durham regions.”
“Implementation of an innovative IR suite with the Allia at its core can transform the delivery of minimally invasive procedures,” says Jim Rapp, Vice President and General Manager, Interventional Imaging, North America, GE Healthcare. “The combination of advanced imaging technology with precision robotics in the hands of Oak Valley Health’s interventional radiologists means more diagnostic capabilities and added patient comfort with robust software that is designed to simplify complex procedures to optimize outcomes for patients and providers.”
The expansion to the IR suite at Oak Valley Health was made possible thanks to the gratitude and generosity of the Miller family and the important work of the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation.
“This is fantastic news for the residents of Markham-Stouffville,” said Paul Calandra, MPP for Markham-Stouffville. “This investment towards a new facility and cutting-edge technology will allow Oak Valley Health to serve 60% more diagnostic imaging patients each year, reducing patient wait times, and alleviating the burden on our hard-working health care professionals.”
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