A new MRI machine for the Buzzi Children’s Hospital

A spacecraft floating in a sky dotted with colorful planets and bright stars. That spacecraft is called the 3 Tesla and, thanks to the very latest generation technology, it will help kids deal with the challenging whole body MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) diagnostic process. Officially launched on November 8, the new 3 Tesla MRI machine that we donated to the Fondazione Buzzi per l’Ospedale dei Bambini children’s hospital in Milan will allow much faster, more accurate diagnoses, either reducing sedation times for children or eliminating the need for sedation altogether. Kids going into the spacecraft-style machine for an MRI scan will hear music playing and soon they will also be able to watch their favorite cartoons, using special 3D glasses. The MRI machine is completely safe for them because, unlike CT and PET scanners, it doesn’t emit any radiation whatsoever. This means that the Buzzi is well on the way to becoming Italy’s first x-ray free hospital. “We are very proud to have been able to contribute to this important project– said Chairman Michele Crisostomo at the official launch – both because it is entirely in line with Enel Cuore’s goal to proactively and practically help improve healthcare for children and because this donation was based on the idea of one of our colleagues, Maria Cristina Milano, who passed away in March 2020.” While volunteering with the Foundation, she began to realize what the hospital needed and was a strong advocate for this project. “Our co-workers are the soul of our not-for-profit organization,– Crisostomo went on to say – That is why we intend to turbocharge the current synergies with them through a Community that acts as a bridge between their knowledge of their local area and Enel Cuore’s ability to make increasingly effective contributions. We would like our co-workers to become not just testimonials for our values but also scouts in the field to help us get a deeper understanding of the situations in which help is needed so that we can act more effectively even in smaller and more peripheral contexts.” “We are providing practical support for sick children going through a tough time by providing this cutting-edge machine.” Michele Crisostomo, Enel Group and Enel Cuore Chairman Treating children using instruments and therapies adapted specifically for their needs is hugely important. Indeed, kids in pediatric intensive care units have a 33% better chance of survival than those in adult departments. “The advantage of this fantastic machine – explained the Buzzi Hospital Pediatric Radiology Department chief Andrea Righini – is that we can instantly carry out faster, more accurate tests and then upgrade with all the new hardware and software that comes on stream in the future too. We already know that there will soon be significant improvements in the quality and speed of image acquisition.” The official launch of the innovative MRI machine is a major step towards the creation of the so-called “Nuovo e Grande Buzzi”, an ambitious project in which the Lombardy Region has invested 40 million euros. In January 2022, construction will begin on the facility that will house the new surgical theatres and departments alongside the playroom, the library and the garden. The aim is to double the number of in-patients and surgeries, while continuing to meld excellence with patient care. Lombardy Region Deputy Chairperson and Council for Welfare, Letizia Moratti, has guaranteed the time schedule, confirming: “The facility will be finished by the end of 2023.” “We are dreaming of a large cutting-edge Children’s Hospital that’s open to the world and the future, one where diagnostic procedures are child-centered and risk-free and professionalism is combined with humanity and a holistic vision of the person.” Stefano Simontacchi, Chairman of the Buzzi Foundation Now that dream is about to come true, thanks to a private-public partnership, and the support of the Buzzi Foundation. “We are particularly grateful to Enel Cuore – declared the Foundation’s Chairman Stefano Simontacchi – because it allowed us take an enormous step towards becoming an x-ray-free hospital. This is the first brick in the new international-standard pediatric hub that we believe both Milan and Italy has a right to. We want to become the first hospital with an integrated surgical theatre in which the walls are diagnostic tools that will enable the surgeon to simulate surgery in 3D. We want to use robotic surgery and the most advanced technology that the public healthcare service can’t provide right now. As a private organization, we need to stand by the public system, otherwise children will continue to be deprived of adequate care.” That commitment was underscored by Chairman Crisostomo, who reminded those present that “Creating the conditions that foster rapid recovery and the best and healthiest growth in children that are living with pain or hardship is one of the main lines of action of our not-for-profit. Our collaboration with the Buzzi Foundation isn’t the first time we’ve contributed to children’s healthcare.” The Chairman then spoke about our support for the (Fondazione Bambino Gesù) Bambino Gesù Foundation’s “Pain-free Hospital” campaign which resulted in the purchase of a multilayer CT machine for a pediatric facility in Rome that can reduce the need for anesthesia and help quell fear and anxiety in young patients. We also completed the building of the Enel Cuore Onlus Children’s House in Florence’s new Anna Meyer Pediatric Hospital, Italy’s first week hospital, a high-tech, highly specialized short-stay pediatric facility. Most of all, however, it is a warm, colorful space designed to reduce anxiety and distress for children. “Every time we get involved in order to ensure that, in so far as is possible, these young patients retain their inalienable right to be and remain children first and foremost despite the difficult experience they have to go through because of illness,” concluded Chairman Crisostomo.

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A new MRI machine for the Buzzi Children’s Hospital

A new MRI machine for the Buzzi Children’s Hospital

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