Mallee MRI Appeal

19/08/2026

SHDH CEO Sandy and Paula from the Mallee MRI Appeal spoke recently at the Swan Hill Business & Professional Women (BPW) AGM, where they talked all things MRI.

Whilst we await a funding outcome for the fit out of the entire new Medical Imaging Department we continue to work on the design of both options with the architect;

✔️Option one: Successful funding = Whole fit out of Medical Imaging including MRI

✔️Option two: Unsuccessful funding = Stand alone MRI machine and fit out

We are due to find out about funding in September so stay tuned here for updates!

Thank you to BPW for having us last week, it was great to spend time with such an inspiring group of people. 👏

📸 (l-r): Helen Gell- BPW Member, Sandy Chamberlin- SHDH CEO, Paula Starrs- Mallee MRI Appeal

14/06/2026

🧡MRI Update🧡

The MRI project is progressing well. The space where the MRI will be installed has already been delivered as part of Stage 2 of the Emergency Department redevelopment. Swan Hill District Health has applied for additional government funding to complete the fit-out of the entire area, including an upgraded radiology department and new equipment.

Importantly, there is also a Plan B in place to ensure the MRI can still be installed if that funding is not successful. Planning and design work is already underway.

Staff training has commenced, with support from Bendigo Health, and Swan Hill already has experienced MRI-qualified staff ready to help get the service up and running.

All funds raised through the Mallee MRI Appeal remain safely held and are earning interest, which will assist with the build and delivery of the MRI service.

Thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered and supported this incredible community effort. The MRI is coming, and it will be a game changer for our region.

https://fb.watch/HK9wa8nlJW/?mibextid=wwXIfr

21/05/2026

🧡🧡🧡 MRI Update🧡🧡🧡

14/05/2026

🧡🧡🧡

𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐇𝐃𝐇’𝐬 𝐌𝐑𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬!

Whilst we await the outcome of the funding for the new Medical Imaging Service, SHDH is continuing to strengthen its diagnostic imaging capability, with Medical Imaging Technologist, Rithin Kuriakose heading to Bendigo Health this June for three months of specialised MRI training.

Rithin said the opportunity is both professionally and personally meaningful, driven by his passion for improving healthcare access in regional communities.
This training is another important step toward establishing a local MRI service—helping reduce travel for patients and improving access to essential imaging close to home.

CEO Sandy Chamberlin said investing in staff development is key to delivering a high-quality MRI service. With three MRI-trained staff already, this additional training will further boost SHDH’s capacity, reduce wait times and better meet growing demand.

The training also highlights SHDH’s strong partnership with Bendigo Health, supporting knowledge-sharing and better outcomes across regional communities.
Thanks to the incredible support and fundraising efforts of our community, we’re continuing to take important steps toward delivering a comprehensive MRI service for Swan Hill and surrounding areas 💙

22/01/2026

In just 8 short months, our incredible community raised the funds to bring an MRI to Swan Hill! Incredible!
The fundraiser is now officially closed, a huge milestone for a small town.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible 🧡🧡🧡
Watch this space for MRI updates.

📸 Stephen Heslop, Woanna Park Trust, with SHDH CEO Sandy Chamberlin

22/01/2026

The MRI Appeal fundraiser has officially closed 🎉🎉🎉 Thank you to the whole community 🧡🧡🧡

🎉 MRI Fundraising Appeal – Officially Closed!🎉

This week marks a very special milestone for our community — the official closure of the MRI fundraising campaign. A few final donations have come through, including the pledged contribution from the Woanna Park Trust, helping us officially cross the finish line!

To Woanna Park Trust, and to every single person, community group, volunteer and business who contributed along the way — thank you. Your generosity and dedication to improving local healthcare have made this huge achievement possible.

This campaign has been a true example of what our community can accomplish together and we are incredibly grateful for your continued support.

Now we look forward to the exciting next steps — purchasing and installing the MRI in the not‑too‑distant future. This is an investment that will benefit our region for decades to come, and it’s all thanks to you.

And one last little shout out to the team behind Mallee MRI Appeal - we definitely couldn't have done it without you!! 👏

📸: Stephen Heslop Woanna Park Trustee with SHDH CEO Sandy Chamberlin

22/01/2026

🧡🧡🧡🧡

Shout out to the Swan Hill New Years Eve Festival who donated funds from their New Years Eve event to the MRI Appeal.

This hugely successful event saw over 3000 people attend a night of live music, delicious food and fireworks to ring in the new year. Thank you to the committee and to everyone who made a gold coin donation upon entry on the night!! 🎆

📸 (l-r): Robyn Reed- Secretary Swan Hill New Years Eve Festival Committee, Bec Lyons- SHDH Communications, Marketing and Fundraising Officer and Craig Beasy- Committee Member Swan Hill New Years Eve Festival

20/01/2026

Thank you Murray Mallee Training Company Ltd for your generous donation of $5000🧡

A big thank you to Murray Mallee Training Company Ltd who donated $5000 to the MRI appeal just before Christmas.

We finally managed to get a photo this week with Joe- Chairman of Murray Mallee Training Company.

"We were stoked to hear that the MRI appeal was still taking donations as we had been planning to donate for a while. We are proud to contribute to a cause that many in our local community will benefit from."

We appreciate your donation Joe and team!

14/01/2026

MRI Update 🧡🧡🧡

✨ 𝐌𝐑𝐈 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 ✨

It’s been a little while since our last update, but we’re thrilled to share that we’re getting very close to wrapping up the MRI fundraising campaign. We’re just waiting on a few final contributions to come through before we can officially close this fundraising appeal.

Behind the scenes, our team has been finalising the campaign and moving into the phase of reviewing the MRI design and fit‑out. This is where everything we’ve planned starts taking shape on paper, and is a very exciting milestone.

Stay tuned — we’ll have more announcements soon about the campaign’s completion and on looking forward to the installation of the MRI!

Mallee MRI Appeal