Alberta is spending nearly $14 million on artificial intelligence technology to increase MRI capacity by 20%, allowing hospitals to perform more than 41,000 additional scans annually without purchasing new machines.The provincial government announced it is expanding the use of Health Canada-approved AI technology that reduces MRI examination times while improving image quality.The technology will be installed directly on existing MRI scanners in hospitals across Alberta, allowing medical staff to examine more patients each day.Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange said the initiative is intended to reduce wait times as demand for diagnostic imaging continues to grow.“We are committed to helping Albertans get the diagnostic scans they need sooner,” said LaGrange.“A record number of MRIs were completed last year, and this investment builds on that progress by increasing capacity, reducing wait times and improving access to the care Albertans need.”The province began testing the technology in April 2025 through a pilot project involving 10 MRI scanners.Since then, the government says the technology has allowed health care providers to complete nearly 12,000 additional scans.Based on those results, Alberta is moving ahead with a provincewide rollout expected to be completed in 2028.The technology uses artificial intelligence to improve the clarity of MRI images while reducing the amount of time patients spend inside scanners.That allows hospitals to increase the number of examinations performed using existing equipment rather than relying solely on purchasing additional MRI machines..Dr. Sayeh Zielke, interim chief executive officer of Acute Care Alberta, said the technology will help the health system respond to growing demand.“Finding ways to deliver care more efficiently is essential as demand for health care services continues to grow,” said Zielke.“This technology allows us to make better use of our existing MRI resources while maintaining the high-quality imaging clinicians rely on to diagnose and treat patients.”Zielke said the technology is already helping patients receive diagnostic services sooner.“It’s a practical innovation that is already helping more Albertans receive the care they need sooner,” she said.The expansion follows a record year for publicly funded diagnostic imaging in Alberta.During the 2025-26 fiscal year, the province completed more than 280,000 MRI scans, nearly 700,000 CT scans and more than 1.85 million X-rays.Those figures represented a 4% increase in MRI examinations and an 8% increase in CT scans compared with the previous year.The government says it is working to increase diagnostic imaging capacity in both hospitals and community health facilities to accommodate rising patient demand.Officials also emphasized that the new AI technology operates directly on individual MRI scanners and does not transmit patient information to outside networks.Patient records, medical images and personal information will remain within Alberta's existing health care privacy and security systems.The initiative is being delivered through Acute Care Alberta's Diagnostic Imaging Alberta program.With the full rollout scheduled for 2028, the government expects the technology to increase annual MRI capacity by more than 41,000 examinations while reducing pressure on existing diagnostic imaging services.The province says the expansion will allow more Albertans to receive timely scans without requiring a corresponding increase in MRI machines.
