Los Alamos Medical Center advances new MRI suite construction

Construction on Los Alamos Medical Center’s new MRI suite is moving forward quickly, and patients and visitors are already seeing more activity around the work zone as the county’s only hospital pushes toward a fall unveiling. LAMC said it is working closely with its teams and contractors to keep patient care and safety at the top of the priority list while the imaging project advances.

For Los Alamos County residents, the stakes are practical. A stronger MRI program affects how quickly doctors can answer questions about everything from routine diagnostics to urgent referrals, and LAMC says the new suite is designed to deliver faster scans, more detailed scans, improved imaging technology, higher image quality and a more comfortable experience for patients. In a community with one hospital and limited local options, that kind of upgrade can shape how often patients need to leave town for advanced imaging and how smoothly care moves from a scan to a diagnosis.

LAMC describes itself as a 47-bed acute care facility that has served Northern New Mexico for more than 70 years. Its imaging department already includes a 64-slice CT scanner and a Signa HDx 1.5T MR system from GE Healthcare, and its PACS system lets physicians store and instantly access high-quality digital images. The new MRI suite is meant to build on that base and give clinicians a more modern tool for the next round of scans.

The project also follows LAMC’s earlier September 20, 2024 announcement that it was upgrading to a SIGNA Artist Evo MRI from GE Healthcare. At that time, the hospital said the new system would bring more imaging capabilities, a larger opening, improved clinical excellence and operational efficiency. During the upgrade period, MRI service continued through a mobile unit parked at the front of the hospital while the permanent space was prepared.

The MRI work comes alongside other changes at the hospital, including an April 2026 announcement of a new obstetrics model with CHRISTUS Health and Presbyterian Health to preserve safe, high-quality maternity care in the county. Together, the projects show LAMC using capital upgrades and partnerships to keep more care in Los Alamos rather than pushing patients farther afield for key services.