A Manitoba MRI breakthrough, thanks to software

BOUNDARY TRAILS, Man. – In February 2025, Boundary Trails Health Centre became the first site in all of Canada to receive a brand-new software version of Deep Resolve, a groundbreaking software upgrade for MRIs. Deep Resolve is secure, AI-powered MRI software that helps technologists get high-quality diagnostic images in a fraction of the time, which means shorter appointments for patients and more accurate results for clinicians.

Being first is thrilling, but it also means stepping into the unknown. There was no other hospital to call for advice, no established workflow to copy, no troubleshooting guide written by someone who had done it before.

“We were charting new territory,” said Bradley Barr, senior MRI technologist, Shared Health Diagnostic Imaging at Boundary Trails Health Centre. “There was excitement, but also a real sense of responsibility. We had to build everything from scratch, workflows, protocols, the whole thing. The team didn’t hesitate for a second.”

And then the magic began.

Scan times started dropping, not by a little, but by 40–70 percent. A lumbar spine (lower back) scan that once took nearly 20 minutes suddenly took five.

Most uninfused scans fell to 5–10 minutes, infused scans to 13–20 minutes, even with all the essential safety and preparation steps. The images themselves were sharper, clearer, and more detailed than ever before. Radiologists were thrilled. Patients were stunned. Staff were energized.

This level of transformation is already being recognized at the provincial level. The Honourable Uzoma Asagwara, minister of health, Seniors and Long-Term Care, praised the team’s work:

“The accomplishments of the Boundary Trails MRI team show what’s possible when skilled healthcare professionals are empowered to innovate and improve care. By embracing new technology and rethinking how they work, this team has significantly increased MRI capacity, reduced scan times and improved the patient experience. Their leadership is helping more Manitobans access diagnostic services sooner, and their work is creating a model that can benefit patients across our province.”

Is This Real?
Looking back at the early days of using Deep Resolve, Barr recalls the speed and image quality was so good the BTHC team had a tough time believing what they were seeing.

“We just looked at each other like… is this real?” Barr says with a laugh. “It felt like we’d leapt years into the future overnight.”

Suddenly, the department could see more patients than they ever imagined. What used to be 22–27 exams per day grew to 38–45. Then came the idea of “blitz days,” carefully planned schedules designed for maximum efficiency while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety.

On their very first blitz day, the team completed 56 scans. A few months later, in November 2025, they hit 60 scans in a single day, a number so high that even multi-scanner sites rarely achieve it.

“I’ll never forget the day we hit 60,” Barr says. “The pride in that room was unbelievable. We weren’t just breaking records, we were proving what a rural team can do when they’re given the tools and the trust.”

They even ran out of requisitions on some blitz days and had to call Diagnostic Imaging Central Intake for more. It was the kind of problem that would have been unimaginable a year earlier.

Inside the department, a whiteboard became the unofficial celebration wall. Staff tracked their daily totals, cheering each milestone, drawing balloons on days that felt especially triumphant. It wasn’t just about numbers, it was about pride, teamwork, and the joy of doing something extraordinary together.

But the transformation wasn’t only operational. It was deeply human.

Patients began reporting less anxiety, less claustrophobia, and less need for medication to get through their scans. The new scanner experience offers music-streaming headphones and a 90-degree mirror that helps patients feel more comfortable and oriented. The room itself had been intentionally designed to feel bright, natural, and calming, complete with a skylight that patients often comment on.

Some patients who arrived filled with anxiety and fear left saying the experience was relaxing.

“When a patient tells you their MRI was relaxing, that’s when you know you’re doing something special,” Barr says. “That’s the kind of feedback that stays with you.”

Behind the scenes, the staff were undergoing their own transformation. Every technologist completed virtual simulation training, online courses, and in-person applications training. Workflows were redesigned from the ground up. Schedules were reimagined. “How do we streamline?” became a daily question, not out of pressure, but out of pride.

“This team never stopped pushing,” Barr says. “Every day someone had a new idea, a new tweak, a new way to make things better.”

The workload increased, but so did the sense of purpose. The team rose to the challenge with resilience, creativity, and a shared belief that they were part of something bigger. They weren’t just scanning more patients; they were changing what MRI care could look like in Manitoba.

A Province-Wide Impact
The ripple effects are already spreading. Shared Health Diagnostic Services is now working to implement this software across the province, using templates, training materials, and lessons learned from the Boundary Trails Diagnostic Imaging team to help other regions succeed.

“People don’t always expect a rural site to lead the way,” Barr says. “But we did. And I couldn’t be prouder of this team and what we’ve contributed to our health system.”

They pioneered a new standard. They doubled their capacity. They improved patient experience. They set national records. And they did it together.

“This is the proudest chapter of my career,” Barr reflects. “And it’s only the beginning.”

This isn’t just a milestone for the Diagnostic Imaging team at Boundary Trails Health Centre. It’s a milestone for Manitoba and a powerful example of what dedicated people can achieve when they’re willing to push boundaries.