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Sheikh Khalifa Medical City MRI Extension Suite, Abu Dhabi, UAE Turnkey design, construction and equipping of an additional MRI to meet the increasing needs of one of the UAE's cutting-edge medical facilities Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) is the flagship institution for SEHA's healthcare system. Its comprehensive healthcare services cater to the needs of the local community, not only ensuring optimal levels of patient care and satisfaction, but also promoting general health and wellbeing through education and awareness. Prior to extending the facility, the SKMC employed a 1.5 T MRI that had been operational for over nine years. With demand exceeding supply, however, there was a need for an additional MRI. To house the new MR750w 3.0T Magnetic Resonance and the supporting functions required for its operation, the SKMC sought a turnkey solution for the new wing at the hospital. Because environmental, soil substructure and proximity issues made a traditional build unsuitable, a modular design was selected. Design and module construction took less than six months. After being delivered to the side, the units were assembled, an RF cage installed and additional finishing works carried out to ensure on-schedule installation and commissioning of the MRI Extension. Overview Challenge The solution delivered was conceived as a full turnkey project spanning design, build and equipping of the extension MRI suite that houses an extensive range of hi-tech medical equipment. •New, turnkey extension to the SKMC's MRI suite •Additional, more efficient MRI required to cope with growing need •Traditional building techniques unsuitable for structural reasons Challenge Solution A traditional build was inappropriate so a skilled contractor had to be sourced to design and construct a modular solution that met requirements. A challenge in its own right, implementation was further impacted by the need for municipality approvals for the design and construction phase of the facility, an unusually time-consuming process that led to some delay to the project as a whole. gehealthcare.com •Innovative, modular building design and construction •Faster building and implementation •Patient- and user-friendly MR750w 3.0T Magnetic Resonance scanner, the first of its kind in the UAE Results/benefits •Improved imaging results and higher patient throughput •Additional scanning capabilities now available •New standard of patient care thanks to more effective healthcare services Solution GE Healthcare played an instrumental role in helping plan, develop and deliver the facility, providing all the necessary specialist services and co-ordinating the project from start to finish. As a result, we were able to ensure that the design took the very diverse aspects of the facility – its processes, people and technology – into consideration. The project was designed and implemented collaboratively by GE (technology provision, CDS advisory services), ADI (technology provision and on-site project coordination), Obermeyer (structural design and architectural services) and Module Metrix (design and construction of the building modules). The extension's modular design meant that it could be completed and commissioned faster than a traditional structure. It was not until the main building unit was in place and the environment had been completely cleaned and rendered dust free that the sophisticated MRI equipment was installed. The MR750w 3.0T Magnetic Resonance scanner forms the heart of the new facility. This new GE Healthcare w-series system is the first of its kind to be installed in the UAE and was selected to allow greater use of feetfirst scanning, in addition to traditional head-first scanning. The scanner has a larger, 70 cm patient bore and its patient-friendly design helps alleviate stress during the scanning procedure. The larger bore also makes the system especially suited for patients who are usually difficult to scan, such as the elderly, the very young or individuals who are in pain, and its detachable table has a tilt feature to help better position the head and neck during brain and spinal examinations. Besides improving comfort, this helps reduce patient movement which, in turn, considerably enhances image quality. The system's advanced RF signal reception system includes a new integrated, lighter-weight, and higherperformance RF coil architecture designed to improve image quality and examination speed. From an operator perspective, the scanner's thinner, flexible materials make it easier to position patients, while the ergonomic lightweight GEM coil system has been designed to assist technologists, as they no longer need to manipulate bulky and heavy coils. This may potentially improve workflow and allow hospitals to scan patients faster. To support SKMC in moving forward, significant additional training will be given to their clinical and non-clinical staff, both in the UAE and overseas. Results/Benefits This facility offers a new standard of patient care for SKMC and local residents by providing a more comfortable patient experience. Compared to the current 1.5 T system, the image quality of the new scanner is considerably better thanks to the higher field strength and channel coils which permit higher resolution studies and faster examinations. The 3T scanner features a number of new imaging techniques, including: • motion arresting, • non-contrast imaging, and • volume imaging. The configuration also includes highend breast and cardiac imaging capabilities - two of the key additional capabilities the extension now offers. This allows the SKMC serve an additional and broader population, something not possible with its legacy equipment. This means that the facility is now in a position to provide both more efficient and effective services for healthcare providers and to offer a more comfortable environment for patients. About GE Healthcare GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services to meet the demand for increased access, enhanced quality and more affordable healthcare around the world. GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter - great people and technologies taking on tough challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and diagnostics to drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance improvement solutions, GE Healthcare helps medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients. "In line with our mission to provide comprehensive healthcare services that cater for the needs and priorities of the Abu Dhabi community, we pride ourselves in offering our patients the latest advancements in technology and patientcentered comfort. With the unique features of the new GE Healthcare MRI, we can now offer patients a more comfortable, stress-free MRI experience." Stephen Walker Radiology Manager