Siemens opens MRI training centre at U of T

TORONTO – Siemens has established its first Canadian customer training centre for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in partnership with the Joint Department of Medical Imaging (JDMI) at the University of Toronto. The centre is located in the heart of the Medical Imaging Department at Toronto General Hospital and offers Canadian customers the opportunity to train on MRI closer to home and more frequently.

With the largest installed base in Canada – approximately 170 MRI scanners across the country – and five dedicated MRI Application Specialists in Canada, Siemens is well-positioned to open a centre of this kind. Training programs will cover imaging and workflow potentials based on special sequences and workflow tools developed by Siemens for its MRI equipment.

“Siemens has an installed base of seven state-of-the-art MR systems at the Joint Department of Medical Imaging (Toronto General Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, Princes Margaret Cancer Center and Womens College Hospital) with access to a large clinical volume of patients with cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, abdominal, breast and neurological disorders,” said Dr. Narinder Paul (pictured), Clinical Director of the Advanced Imaging and Education Centre.

“This partnership provides a perfect synergy between the advanced educational facilities in the Advanced Imaging and Education Centre and leading edge MR technology provided by Siemens Medical Systems,” he added.

With the new centre, Siemens aims to further customer knowledge of the MRI technology while also offering them the opportunity to learn from one another by sharing best practices and experiences.

Along with classroom-style training at the centre, participants will benefit from a full day of hands-on practical training with Siemens MRI equipment at the Toronto General Hospital. The ultimate goal is to help customers feel confident with the capabilities of the MRI scanners in order to achieve the best possible results and diagnosis for patients.

Initially the centre will offer four training sessions per year. Maximum enrollment is 8 people per session and additional courses will be offered as demand requires. Training sessions are intended for users of a Siemens Magnetom, Aera or Skyra, as well as for those upgrading their Magnetom Avanto and Verio with the newest Tim4G and DOT technology.

“As an MRI market leader in Canada, we want to offer new application training for our customers, whether they are new in MRI, are looking for advanced training in neurology, cardiology etc. or those interested in optimizing their clinical workflow,” said Jim Graziadei, Vice President Healthcare, Siemens Canada. “We have outstanding training centres in the U.S., and we are happy to now offer Canadian customers training closer to home. We thank Dr. Narinder Paul and his team and we are very excited to have our National Centre of Excellence for MR training at the University of Toronto AIEC.”

The University of Toronto Advanced Imaging and Education Centre (AIEC) is dedicated to providing the highest standard of quality education to the student who will participate in the advanced imaging workshops incorporating computed tomography courses in cardiac, neurological, abdominal and vascular imaging.

For registration information visit http://medical-imaging.utoronto.ca/cme/aiec.htm.

About Siemens

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. Further information is available at www.siemens.com.