Investing in the Future of Diagnostic Imaging: Tomorrow’s Riverside, Today
October 06, 2026
Each month, Riverside Health Care shares a closer look at the people, projects, and progress shaping care across our region. Through this ongoing series, we’re proud to highlight the work happening today to build a stronger, more connected Riverside for tomorrow. Originally published in the Fort Frances Times on September 30, 2026.
Tomorrow’s Riverside, Today: A Look Inside
New X-ray system makes impact for patients
Riverside brings community investment into patient care
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
For patients coming through the radiology department at La Verendrye General Hospital, a new state-of-the-art digital X-ray system means faster exams, easier positioning and high-quality diagnostic images using a lower radiation dose.
For the technologists behind those exams, it means something else: less time and physical effort spent moving equipment, and more opportunity to focus on the patient in front of them.
The first major piece of equipment fully funded through Riverside Health Care’s Lights, Camera, Diagnosis! campaign, the impressive YSIO X.pree digital radiography system went live Sept. 17, replacing a fully manual X-ray unit installed during renovations at LVGH in 2006.
“After working with a fully manual system for two decades, this addition represents a major change in efficiency, comfort and outcomes,” said Andrea Faragher, Riverside's Director of Diagnostic Services.
“The new system allows our technologists to focus even more on the patient.”
The hospital's previous system was reaching the end of its service life. The new one changes the experience on both sides of the X-ray machine.
Intelligent and automated positioning features reduce the amount of manual equipment movement required by the technologist, helping make examinations faster and positioning easier for patients.
For staff performing X-rays throughout the day, fewer repetitive movements also significantly reduce the physical strain involved.
The transition represents a significant technological leap for the department.
The new system’s AI-supported imaging technology helps enhance an image after it has been taken, helping produce clear, consistent images for the radiologist to review and promoting even more accurate diagnoses. But the technology can’t diagnose patients or replace the expertise of a radiologist.
“The AI is assisting the technologist by helping optimize the images that are produced, allowing the radiologist to have a high-quality image to interpret,” said Faragher.
Bringing the new system online involved considerably more than just swapping one machine for another. The project included major renovations to the X-ray suite and supporting infrastructure, followed by installation, equipment testing and staff training. The transition was coordinated to minimize disruption to patient services while ensuring technologists were comfortable with the new system before it went live.
More than 50 patient exams were completed in just the first week of using the new equipment.
The significance of the new equipment extends beyond the walls of the radiology department. It’s a tangible example of community investment translating into new equipment being used every day in patient care.
Riverside’s major community fundraising campaign supporting the modernization of diagnostic imaging services and bringing MRI services to the Rainy River District, the Lights, Camera, Diagnosis! campaign concluded in July following tremendous support from donors across the district.
“When we launched our campaign, we asked our communities to help us strengthen diagnostic care close to home, and they answered that call in an incredible way,” said Henry Gauthier, Riverside President and CEO.
“Seeing this equipment now in place and being used to care for patients is a powerful reminder of what that generosity makes possible. This is their investment at work: in our staff, in our patients and in the future of local health care.”
That connection is particularly meaningful in a rural district, where strengthening local diagnostic services can help patients access more of the care they need closer to home.
Riverside staff training on the new advanced X-ray equipment.
Diagnostic imaging transformation continues across Riverside
The new X-ray system now serving patients at La Verendrye General Hospital is just the first visible piece of a broader transformation of diagnostic imaging across Riverside Health Care.
In the coming months, Riverside is bringing the same system into service at Rainy River Health Centre, where final preparations are underway.
Having the same equipment and systems at both sites offers benefits beyond the technology itself. Consistent training and familiarity with the equipment will allow technologists to work with the same system at either location, giving Riverside greater flexibility to move staff between sites when needed while supporting consistent care for patients.
At LVGH, construction is also underway on an even bigger milestone: the Rainy River District's first MRI service.
More than 1,400 square feet at LVGH are being developed to house the new MRI suite, with completion on track for delivery of the machine in April 2027. Foundation is currently being established, followed by tie-ins to the existing hospital building in the coming weeks and months.
The MRI itself is scheduled to arrive in April. Getting it into the hospital will be no ordinary delivery: a removable wall in the second-storey addition will allow the machine to be craned directly into the new suite. MRI services are expected to become operational following installation and final preparations.
For patients, the impact will be much bigger than the construction project. Having MRI available in Fort Frances will reduce the need for patients and families to travel to Thunder Bay or Winnipeg for imaging.
“This is a significant step forward in improving access to health care locally,” said Henry Gauthier, President and CEO at Riverside Health Care. “Local MRI services means faster diagnoses, reduced delays, and less travel for patients and families across our district.”
The new service is expected to reach well beyond the district, supporting patients throughout the Rainy River District and Northwestern Ontario, including Kenora, Sioux Narrows and several First Nations communities.
After breaking ground, footings and drainage systems are put in at the site of the new MRI machine at LVGH.
