Patients

It’s your health, it’s your choice! – Ask your healthcare provider about Open MRI.

Open MRI, or Open Magnetic Resonance Imaging, is a powerful innovation in diagnostic imaging. Its special qualities allow comparable imaging without the confining experience of a “Closed Magnet”. During a “Closed Magnet” MRI, you are placed on the “patient couch”, or table, positioned, and you are placed in to a tunnel-like space. During an “Open Magnet” MRI you are still placed on the patient couch, positioned and placed in to the center of the magnet however, the Open MRI scanner is just that, it’s open on the sides so you don’t have that enclosed feeling!

Closed MRI Machine —————————————————————-Open MRI Machine

MRI exams are scheduled through physician referral only!There is no special preparation! All we ask is that you come in something comfortable that has no metal! Coming from work and don’t have time to change? Don’t worry, we have comfortable scrubs for you to change in to! You are provided a personal locker to secure your personal belongings and you may keep the key with you during your exam. Make sure you have a picture ID and your insurance card with you! The person at the front desk will be asking for it, they will also hand you a few forms for you to fill out. Want to be extra prepared? At the bottom of this page are examples of the forms you will be filling out. Don’t worry we don’t have mounds of paperwork for you, 1-2 pages max!Once everything is ready to go the technologist will call your name and take you to the back! You will have the chance to use the restroom (your scan will be anywhere from 30-45 minutes). Then you will be taken to one of our dressing rooms. There you will be asked to change into a set of scrubs (if you didn’t wear a metal-less outfit) and you will be asked to remove anything from your pockets. There is a locker in each dressing room for valuables.The technologist will ask you to remove any and all of the following items:

– Watches
– Jewelry
– Coins
– Keys
– Pens
– Eyeglasses
– Dentures (cups will be available)
– Hairpins
– Wallets ( our machine is a trickster, it likes to de-magnetize the strip that makes your credit and debit cards work!)After you’re ready the technologist will escort you in to the MRI room and position you on the table. You will be asked what kind of music you like (we use Pandora Radio), and a special coil will be placed around the body part we are imaging. This helps us get the best pictures for you! Then all you have to do is lay really, REALLY still, and listen to the music or take a nap!Please let us know if you have, or suspect you have a PACEMAKER, PROSTHETIC DEVICE, OR METALLIC IMPLANTS.

Your scan will be reviewed and interpreted by an MRI specialist and the interpretation will be relayed to your physician (within 24 hours of your exam). Your physician will then discuss the results with you.We will send you with a disc of your images right after your exam. This is just so you have them if your physician wishes to see them, or if you are referred to another physician.If you have any questions at all about your exam, do not hesitate to ask your physician.

Notice of Privacy Practices
Upon arrival you will be given a brochure of our privacy practices. All we need from you is this mini-form filled out after you’ve looked that brochure over! This is also available in Spanish!
privacy_practices_eng.pdf
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