Yes! You too can be the proud owner of this fabulous piece of medical technology!

November 11, 2007 5:07 PM

Win a free MRI machine: An odd medical equipment distribution scheme, winanmri.com will give away a free MAGNETOM to the hospital that gets the most votes for their submitted video. (videos on right hand side).
posted by edgeways (13 comments total)

Does the winning hospital still get to charge full price for its use?
posted by waxboy at 5:27 PM on November 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

Can I have the magnets?
posted by blue_beetle at 5:40 PM on November 11, 2007

Look, I know "socialized medicine" isn't a popular idea in this country, but I don't think taking American Idol as the template for health care reform is a good idea.
posted by Rangeboy at 6:10 PM on November 11, 2007

Pff, I thought the were going to give an MRI to an individual, so they could, I guess rewire the magnets to turn quarters into balls or something. Or perform their own mad-scientist brain research, but I guess it's not an fMRI.

Oh well.
posted by delmoi at 6:12 PM on November 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

Look, I know "socialized medicine" isn't a popular idea in this country, but I don't think taking American Idol as the template for health care reform is a good idea.

These days it's more like Survivor....
posted by Bighappyfunhouse at 6:17 PM on November 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

Yeah, they're just trying to get rid of that old 1.5T bullshit. If they were giving away a 3T scanner it might be worth something.
posted by TedW at 6:26 PM on November 11, 2007

I hope the winner gives it to a hospital the has a serious and regional need for such equipment. Health care costs in the States are insane, largely due to the end of regulation that required them to be non-profit. This has led to one-upmanship on technology and soaring costs, rather than cooperation between benevolent non-profit organizations.
posted by Goofyy at 8:18 PM on November 11, 2007

TedW: that may well be, but there are many hospitals that would gladly take the 1.5T since they have 0T now.

My grandfather was instrumental in the founding of Marcum Wallace Memorial Hospital in Irvine, KY (Marcum was my doctor when I was a kid). I would greatly appreciate everyone's vote. They could sure use that machine.
posted by jwest at 8:53 PM on November 11, 2007

Sad that this is US only, I'm sure there are many hospitals (and countries) without a functional MRI machine who would gladly appreciate this.
posted by MrC at 11:48 PM on November 11, 2007

Health care costs in the States are insane, largely due to the end of regulation that required them to be non-profit.

Say what? There's a long tradition of for-profit hospitals. They didn't used to be giant corporations until HCA paved the way, though -- they used to be founded and owned by one or more doctors.

This is separate from the movement of non-profit hospitals to a corporate business model (vs. a charity model), stemming from tax code changes in 1969, and eventually (under case law, I believe) allowing the purchase of non-profit institutions by for-profits. And the widespread flight from the industry by various Roman Catholic orders that had historically played a large role.

I hope the winner gives it to a hospital the has a serious and regional need for such equipment.

Most of the entries seem to be from smaller community or regional hospitals, from what I can tell.
posted by dhartung at 12:29 AM on November 12, 2007

In the 80s, there was a rash of charitable drives in the UK intended to equip cash-strapped NHS hospitals (but I repeat myself ...) with MRI machines. Many succeeded in their initial goal of purchasing a machine, which was then installed with much fanfare and hoopla. Problem is, the cash-strapped hospitals remained cash-strapped and thus could not afford to pay for the necessary routine maintenance contracts on these technological wonders, or even to train people to use them, and so many fell into disuse.

I predict this effort will end in similar ignominy with the "lucky" winning hospital quietly listing the damn thing on eBay a couple months later.
posted by kcds at 3:53 AM on November 12, 2007

Two of these hospitals are located near me, Gouverner & Massena, NY. Both towns are in serious economic trouble, so I'm sure this would be a blessing for either town. But I'm voting for Massena because of the horrible Ty Pennington impersonator.
posted by saffry at 7:19 AM on November 12, 2007

Problem is, the cash-strapped hospitals remained cash-strapped and thus could not afford to pay for the necessary routine maintenance contracts on these technological wonders, or even to train people to use them, and so many fell into disuse.

That is an excellent point; our hospital has 3 MRIs and there is a full time staff to run and maintain them, they need to be in specially constructed rooms, and in spite of all the preventive maintenance at least one of the three is down on a regular basis.
posted by TedW at 11:15 AM on November 12, 2007