Medical center wishes a happy retirement to its MRI machine
PEORIA, Ill. — A recent retirement party at a Peoria medical center looked like a typical farewell celebration — co-workers posed for pictures, shared a cookie cake and said their goodbyes.
But the guest of honor sat silent as the small crowd gathered to celebrate 10 years of service. The retiree also weighed 12,000 pounds and had to be hoisted out of the facility by a forklift.
Current and former staff at the OSF HealthCare center in Peoria recently celebrated the retirement of its MRI machine, the Pekin Daily Times reported.
The old medical imaging device was removed from the facility Monday, and it is being replaced by a new, wide-bore MRI later this summer.
Jamie White, a manager at the center, described saying goodbye to the old machine as “bittersweet.”
She said it was the first open MRI machine the center acquired. Open MRIs are designed in part for patients who suffer from claustrophobia.
The Peoria center’s new device will offer better resolution and quicker scan times.
A crowd snapped photos as the old machine was hoisted out of the center.
Eddie Rivera, an engineer who helped disconnect electricity from the machine, said it’s being taken to a warehouse in Arizona, where it will either be refurbished or sold.
