A turning point for diagnostic imaging in Canada
Across Canada, diagnostic imaging is at a critical turning point.
Patients are waiting longer than they should for MRI, CT, and other advanced scans. In many regions, non-urgent exams can involve weeks or even months of delay, which slows diagnosis and treatment planning.
Provinces are responding with new funding, community-based imaging centres, and a stronger focus on getting people screened and diagnosed closer to home. For radiologists, clinic owners, and healthcare entrepreneurs, that shift represents a major opportunity.
There is a clear demand for more capacity, better access, and modern equipment.
The challenge is not the clinical need. It is the financial reality behind each new scanner, suite, and satellite location.
Building or expanding an imaging clinic often requires several major investments: high-cost modalities such as MRI, CT, digital X-ray, and ultrasound; construction, shielding, and site preparation; IT integration, PACS, RIS, and cybersecurity support; and staff recruitment, training, and marketing to referring physicians. Putting all of that in place with upfront capital alone can place significant strain on a clinic’s cash flow and risk appetite.
Instead of seeing imaging equipment as a one-time purchase that locks up capital for years, leasing treats it as part of a longer-term growth strategy.
Turning capital challenges into a growth strategy
Prime Capital works with diagnostic imaging clinics, outpatient centres, and healthcare operators that want to grow their capacity while staying financially resilient.
With the right structure, leasing can help clinics turn capital constraints into a plan for sustainable growth.
Acquire advanced equipment without a heavy upfront payment
MRI, CT, and high-end ultrasound systems represent significant investments. Leasing allows clinics to bring these systems online with manageable monthly payments instead of a large lump sum, so capital remains available for fit out and construction, hiring and retaining clinical and administrative staff, and investing in referrer outreach and patient experience.
Align payments with funding and revenue
Clinic revenues and provincial funding flows are often predictable over time, but they do not always match the timing of equipment purchases. Leasing helps align payment schedules with reimbursement cycles, terms with the expected life of funding agreements or service contracts, and overall cost with planned throughput and case mix growth. This alignment reduces financial stress and helps owners plan with more confidence.
Refresh technology more often
Imaging technology evolves quickly. What is considered state-of-the-art today can feel limited in a few years as newer systems offer faster throughput, lower dose, or improved image quality. Leasing supports a more deliberate renewal cycle so clinics can move to newer platforms when it makes sense clinically and commercially, avoid holding on to aging systems purely because of sunk capital, and maintain competitive positioning with referring physicians and patients.
Bundle more than the scanner alone
In many cases, the total project cost extends well beyond the modality itself. Shielding, installation, IT integration, and supporting equipment can all influence project viability. Where appropriate, leasing can bring these components into a more cohesive financial structure so that the clinic has what it needs to operate from day one. Prime Capital’s role is to design these structures in a way that fits the clinic’s business model and risk profile, rather than forcing a single template approach.
A common situation for growing imaging clinics
A situation that often arises for operators is a clinic that already runs one MRI or CT suite and sees growing demand from both physicians and patients.
The leadership team can see the upside. Adding a second system could cut wait times and increase throughput. Newer technology could reduce scan times, improve image quality, and enhance comfort for patients. Referring physicians may begin to favour sites that can schedule sooner and deliver consistent turnaround times.
At the same time, the team is weighing the realities behind the scenes. They must account for the cost of the modality, room preparation, shielding, and IT work; the impact on cash flow if everything is purchased outright; and the risk of committing too much capital in an environment where reimbursement policies and program structures can evolve.
In a situation like this, a leasing strategy can make the decision clearer.
Instead of delaying expansion until every dollar is available, the clinic could lease the scanner over a term that matches expected volume and funding, preserve capital for staff, patient amenities, and outreach to referring clinics, and plan for a future upgrade path as technology and demand evolve. The result is not simply adding another scanner. It is creating a more resilient imaging business that can expand capacity, manage risk, and adapt as funding models and patient demand change.
Industry insight: why leasing fits the new diagnostic imaging landscape
Canada’s healthcare systems are under steady pressure to improve access to diagnostics, particularly for cancer, cardiac conditions, and chronic diseases. Community-based and outpatient imaging centres play a growing role in that effort.
In this context, leasing offers several practical advantages.
Financial flexibility in a regulated environment
Imaging relies on stable, yet sometimes evolving, reimbursement models. Leasing allows clinics to adjust capacity more easily as demand changes, reduce reliance on lines of credit meant for short-term working capital, and build a cost structure that is easier to forecast and manage over time.
Support for multi-site growth
Operators with more than one location, or those planning additional sites, often need a scalable way to add equipment. Leasing supports staged expansion site by site, the possibility of pre-approved capacity in some situations to speed up future deployments, and a consistent approach to financing across multiple modalities and locations.
Clear communication with stakeholders
Banks, investors, and partners respond better when there is a clear, structured plan for equipment financing rather than ad hoc capital requests. A defined leasing strategy makes it easier to explain growth plans to stakeholders, demonstrate discipline in how capital is used, and show how risk is being managed over the life of the equipment. Prime Capital’s experience with healthcare operators helps clinics bring these pieces together in a way that supports both clinical and business objectives.
What success can look like for imaging clinics?
When clinic owners and healthcare leaders combine a strong clinical vision with a sound financing approach, several positive outcomes become possible:
- Shorter wait times for patients who need imaging to move forward with diagnosis or treatment
- Improved experience for patients through modern equipment, faster scans, and better environments
- More predictable cash flow based on known monthly payments rather than large one-time purchases
- Greater agility to add modalities, expand hours, or open new sites as demand grows
Perhaps most importantly, teams can focus more energy on clinical operations and patient care, and less on the strain of large capital decisions.
Prime Capital’s role is to help imaging providers make these decisions from a position of clarity, not pressure.
Plan your next imaging upgrade with confidence
If your clinic is considering a new modality, an additional scanner, or an expansion into a new location, the financial structure behind that decision matters as much as the equipment itself.
Leasing can help you move from backlog to throughput, support growth without overextending your capital, and keep your technology current in a rapidly evolving field.
Planning to expand your imaging capacity? Talk to Prime Capital about leasing options for your next MRI, CT, or X-ray upgrade and move from backlog to a more stable, scalable workflow.
