Last Thursday, March 24, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) Foundation announced it received a one-million-dollar gift from philanthropists and hospital friends, Dr. Daksha Jain and Mr. Sudhir Kapadia.

The couple have been longtime supporters of the hospital and were “moved to make this latest donation because of their fundamental belief in helping others,” a news release from PVHMC said.

The gift will support the expansion of its radiology services by helping to fund a new, state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, the release continued. “The amount contributes significantly to the acquisition and installation of the new MRI scanner, which will enable the hospital to expand services that are critical for detection, diagnosis and treatment of numerous medical conditions, including stroke, cerebrovascular injuries, cancer, trauma injuries and more.”

As the community in the Pomona Valley has grown over the last ten years, there has been a “three-fold increase in patients needing an MRI assessment at PVHMC and its affiliated community health centers, the Pomona Valley Health Centers,” the news release said. The new MRI will greatly improve access to diagnostic imaging by reducing wait times by up to six hours for hospitalized patients and appointment times by eight to 12 days for outpatients.

“Our hospital and health centers are a vital provider of advanced imaging services in our region,” Richard E. Yochum, FACHE, President and CEO of PVHMC said. “This gift from Dr. Jain and Mr. Kapadia offers tremendous support for our continuous mission and vision to serve our community with advanced systems, cutting-edge technology and an exceptional patient experience.”

The advanced image-processing capabilities will also allow technologists to scan patients faster and more comfortably, and radiologists to view better quality images.

The new MRI will be located at PVHMC’s MRI Center and is expected to be fully operational within the next two to four years. It joins the health system’s fleet of three MRIs, located at PVHMC and two of its health centers in Claremont and La Verne.

“Whenever we think about giving back, we always consider our top priorities – supporting the medical field, education and people in need – and PVHMC meets all three,” Kapadia said. “The hospital has a great need to provide exceptional care for its underserved community with the best resources and staff possible, and we are proud to support its efforts to make a meaningful difference.”

“I’ve been a part of this hospital’s growth all of my medical life,” said Daksha Jain, M.D., a semi-retired pediatrician who has practiced at PVHMC for nearly 30 years. “As a pediatrician, I have trust in the comprehensive services the hospital provides, not only for my patients, but for my own family as well.”

Learn more about PVHMC’s radiology program, accredited by the American College of Radiology by clicking here. To make a donation to the PVHMC Foundation, visit www.pvhmc.org/foundation.