For more information, contact:
Megan Pratt -OR- Ashleigh Guyton
Marketing Director Community Relations Coordinator
Phone: 662-244-2008 Phone: 662-244-1132
Email: megan.pratt#bmhcc.org Email: ashleigh.guyton@bmhcc.org
COLUMBUS, Miss., July 6, 2026 – A new $3.4 million MRI project at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle is speeding up scan times for patients, in some cases cutting the time in half. And, the larger opening in the machine is also making the test more comfortable for those who have issues with confined spaces.
Planning for the two-year project began in 2024, said Radiology Director Brad Mize. The project also included adding 1,200 square feet to the existing Outpatient Radiology Department at a cost of $1.8 million as well as the installation of the $1.37 million GE Voyager 1.5 Tesla MRI machine. The remaining project costs covered patient comfort improvements and software enhancements. The new machine was installed in March with the first patients scanned in May after extensive testing and employee training.
Mize said the advanced MRI expands the hospital’s testing capabilities while reducing the amount of time patients spend inside the scanner. “We now have the capability to perform more procedures daily, reducing potential wait times for examinations,” Mize said. “We also offer services in house that we were unable to offer prior to this project.”
The new system is also improving workflow for the MRI technologists who perform the exams, helping the department serve patients more efficiently, according to MRI Technologist Michael Simpson.
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“By reducing scan times, we can accommodate more patients.” Simpson said. “Many patients suffer extreme anxiety from being inside an MRI. “Once we get up to speed, it will mean less time spent inside the scanner,” he added.
“This machine is excellent for orthopedic work,” added Radiology Technologist McKellar Conwill. “It allows us to bring back procedures we had been sending to other hospitals, such as North Mississippi in Tupelo and UAB, back in house.”
With 323 beds, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle is one of the largest regional hospitals affiliated with Baptist Memorial Health Care. More than 100 physicians and surgeons, representing almost every medical specialty, practice at the hospital that offers a full range of comprehensive medical care to patients of all ages. In addition to the Baptist Cancer Center in Columbus and Starkville, the hospital offers a variety of other services to the community, including Baptist Behavioral Health Care, for those with behavioral and mental health problems; an extensive rehabilitation department; and free community education programs for the public. For more information, please call 662-244-1000 or visit www.baptistonline.org/locations/golden-triangle, or follow us on Facebook @BaptistGoldenTriangle.
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