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Television medical dramas such as ER and House bring home images of the clinical challenges in hospitals across the country to millions of Americans each week.

Now, small hospitals lacking a cornerstone diagnostic technology –- a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system –- are being given the opportunity to turn the cameras on themselves in a new national contest. In this unique contest, the American public will choose one hospital to be awarded a free MRI system.

Siemens Medical Solutions has announced the opening of voting for the national contest at www.WinAnMRI.com. The program invites health care facilities lacking an MRI system to display their creativity and dedication to patient care in videos that are two minutes long or shorter.

Individuals from across the country can view the contenders’ videos on the site and then choose which facility they believe is most deserving of the MRI system by voting for their favorite. The health care facility whose video receives the most votes will be awarded a brand new Siemens MAGNETOM® Essenza scanner.

“The worldwide fascination with the online video medium provides a unique way for us to bring the stories of these small hospitals to life,” said Jeffrey Bundy, vice president, Magnetic Resonance Division, Siemens Medical Solutions.

“There are currently more than 1,500 hospitals in the U.S. that do not offer MRI services –- an essential component to a full-service healthcare facility in any community. The winner of this contest will open the doors to a new level of medical service, sparing people from having to travel to facilities for care that can be had right at home.”

The MAGNETOM Essenza MRI system was introduced to the market on October 17, 2007. The system, which was developed specifically for the small hospital market, is expected to help physicians deliver improved imaging services in neurology, orthopedics, body imaging, angiography, cardiology, breast imaging, oncology and pediatric imaging.

The lowest-cost new system available, MAGNETOM Essenza boasts 1.5-Tesla magnet strength. It generates high-resolution images that will help clinicians make a more precise diagnosis and could eliminate the need for expensive and time-consuming follow-up exams.

MAGNETOM Essenza 1.5T Photo: Siemens

Voting in the contest started on October 22 and runs through to December 31, with the winner being announced in mid January.

Explosion in demand for MRIs

MRIs are one of the fastest growing imaging techniques on the market today, with the number of procedures growing by ten per cent from 2003 to 2006.

This is due, in large part, to the ability of the technology to provide non-invasive, diagnostic images of soft tissues, bone, fat, muscles and internal organs in the body without the use of X-rays.

Additionally, MRIs have been singled out for their usefulness in detecting and imaging specific conditions such as breast cancer. In March 2007, new guidelines were issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS) calling for annual MRIs in women at high risk for breast cancer.

This new set of guidelines alone is expected to increase the demand for MRIs, as one million or more women in the United States may be impacted by the ACS recommendations.