The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) featured the new MRI Smart Suite at UW Health’s Eastpark Medical Center in the article, “Optimized MRI Suites Enable High-Volume Turnaround, Better Access for Patients,” which was published on May 8, 2025 and included in the recent RSNA News issue. University of Wisconsin Department of Radiology Chair Scott Reeder, MD, PhD provided an overview of the process his team took to collect and analyze data before applying the insight to the architectural design.
The article also included information about a similar initiative at Mass General Brigham in Boston. Growing demand for medical imaging acted as the impetus for both efforts.
“If you’re growing at 10% per year, that means you’re doubling your volumes every seven years,” Dr. Reeder said in the article. “It’s unsustainable to double your volume by purchasing more scanners. So, you either must add more shifts, or you need to learn to scan more efficiently, shorten your protocols and address the operational challenges that this presents.”
To address this, Dr. Reeder launched the MR2025 strategic plan in 2019 while serving as the clinical chief of MRI and senior vice chair of research. Once he and his team analyzed data on scan times and scheduling, they adjusted protocols to shorten specific scans and started planning the Smart Suite.
Opened in October 2024, the Smart Suite was inspired in part by a design implemented at NYU Langone Health. “We have two doors and two scanner tables per room. When one patient is in the magnet, the next patient is prepared on deck, ready to go,” Dr. Reeder said.
Early numbers show a stark improvement with scan times dropping from 12 minutes to about two minutes. This decrease allowed for shorter time slots and more appointments.
“We’ve increased the number of staff to handle the rapid throughput,” Dr. Reeder said. “It’s a great environment; they’re like a SWAT team moving patients around between the systems.”
In addition to improving MRI operations at Eastpark Medical Center, the MR2025 initiative’s success contributed to the launch of the Center for High Value Imaging by UW Health and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. A patient-centered strategy, high-value imaging aims to improve patient access and experience as well as maximize actionable imaging-derived information. This efficiency is core to being good stewards of our human and technological resources.
Read more about the center in the article announcing Dania Daye, MD, PhD as the new director.