Canadian hospital chooses Altro for new MRI suite
Altro Whiterock wall designs, Altro Whiterock

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Amos, Quebec, Canada - The Centre Hospitalier Hôtel-Dieu D'Amos short-term hospital is part of the Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) of Abitibi-Temiscamingue. The hospital is a designated regional trauma center and its main regional vocations are orthopedics and vascular, plastic and maxilo-facial surgery. Its medical team is made up of nearly 90 general practitioners and specialists, which allows it to offer an integrated network of general and specialized care. 

The Centre Hospitalier Hôtel-Dieu D'Amos has a capacity of 82 short-term beds, of which 63 beds are used regularly, and four intensive care beds. The hospital also includes four operating rooms and one endoscopy room.

In March of 2021, the Hôtel-Dieu D`Amos became the home to the region’s first fixed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Since 2001, the region had a magnetic resonance imaging service through a mobile unit that moved from center to center, which had reached the end of its useful life a few years ago.

Due to the nature of this expensive and sensitive equipment, special attention had to be paid for the room’s design. Materials in the room must not interfere with the powerful electromagnets and while also being aesthetically pleasing as the procedures performed could be quite stressful for many patients.

As the regions only fixed MRI, capable of performing 6,000 exams per year, this project required protective wall cladding with superior and long-lasting durability. Materials had to be non-porous, hygienic and easy-to-clean. Due to frequent wheelchair and stretcher traffic, a high impact-resistant surface was also a very important criteria.  

For the project, MLS Architects selected Altro Whiterock wall designs (AWWD) in Soft Woodgrain. The hospital was familiar with Altro Whiterock wall panels, having used them before in other areas of the hospital. They especially liked that AWWD combine the durability, hygiene and resilience of Altro Whiterock wall panels with natural looking patterns. These helped enormously with the warm and comforting ambiance that they desired.

The AWWD system easily replaces the typical laminated particle board typically used in applications like these, all while offering a more durable surface finish and a longer lasting product warranty.