Ontario announces new publicly funded surgical and diagnostic centres in Windsor

A new investment from the provincial government is looking to slash wait times for certain procedures in the city. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell explains.

Three new community surgical and diagnostic centres in Windsor have been approved to deliver publicly funded procedures as part of the Ontario government’s plan to reduce wait times and expand access to care.

Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie made the announcement Friday at RAAMP Endoscopy in Windsor, noting that the local expansion is part of a broader $155-million provincial investment to add 57 licensed centres across Ontario.

The province said the initiative will connect up to 1.2 million patients to faster access for MRIs, CT scans, and gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopies over the next two years.

The newly approved Windsor facilities include RAAMP Endoscopy and Rose City Endoscopy, which will offer GI endoscopy procedures, and GMNI MRI/CT Windsor, which will provide MRI and CT scans. Licensing is expected to begin as early as summer 2025.

“The Government of Ontario is proud to strengthen and expand access to health care by delivering faster, more convenient diagnostic services in Windsor-Essex,” said Dowie.

“The launch of RAAMP Endoscopy and Rose City Endoscopy, along with expanded MRI and CT services at GMNI MRI/CT Windsor, marks a significant step forward for our region and the province as a whole.”

RAAMP Endoscopy is expected to be licensed in 2026, while Rose City Endoscopy is scheduled for 2025. GMNI MRI/CT Windsor is expected to begin providing both MRI and CT services in 2026.

Dr. Wassim Saad, president of RAAMP Endoscopy, said the new centre will help reduce wait times for essential procedures locally.

“The addition of RAAMP Endoscopy means our residents will have better, faster access to essential procedures – right here at home,” Saad said.

“We are deeply grateful to the Ontario government, the Ministry of Health and MPP Dowie for recognizing the needs of our community and investing in solutions that will improve health outcomes for thousands of people.”

Dr. Saad also serves as chief of staff at Windsor Regional Hospital, a dual role that could raise questions about potential conflict of interest. He said his plans to apply for the provincial licenses were fully disclosed to the hospital’s leadership.

“I made my intentions to apply for these licenses very clear to both my CEO and to the board of directors. They were very supportive,” Saad said.

“They understand that this is helping the hospital, and it’s offloading the acute care. During the application process, we also took a position at the hospital that we were not going to publicly endorse, or even, as part of the application process, endorse any one particular applicant, including mine.”

Rose City Endoscopy, which has operated in Windsor since 2012, is among 22 new GI endoscopy centres licensed across the province. Its medical director said government funding will allow the clinic to further expand services.

“Rose City Endoscopy has been a leader in outpatient gastrointestinal endoscopy in our region with 50,891 outpatient gastrointestinal procedures to date,” said Dr. Vladislav Khokhotva.

“While a significant percentage of our funding is still going to be provided by our doctors, the addition of government funding will allow us to develop our facility further to a top world-class level.”

The province said the 22 newly licensed GI centres will add up to 420,000 endoscopy procedures over two years — more than triple its original target. Meanwhile, 35 new MRI/CT centres are expected to provide diagnostic imaging for up to 828,000 additional patients.

Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones said the announcement builds on efforts to clear surgical and diagnostic backlogs across the province.

“When it comes to wait times for surgeries and procedures, the status quo is not acceptable,” said Jones.

“That’s why our government is taking bold, decisive action to protect Ontario’s health-care system by boosting access to vital surgeries and diagnostic imaging so that families can conveniently access the care they need sooner.”

As part of the government’s broader plan, titled Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, community surgical and diagnostic centres have increasingly been used to deliver publicly funded care outside of hospital settings.

According to the province, these facilities are not allowed to charge patients for insured services or allow patients to pay for faster access. Quality assurance inspections are carried out through Accreditation Canada, with new standards introduced in 2024.

There are more than 900 such community-based facilities across Ontario, most of which provide diagnostic imaging.