Advance Imaging: What you need to know before your MRI

People do not deal with medical issues every day, so they tend to simply do what their doctor tells them. A better plan is for the patient to always be their own advocate, and be as knowledgeable and educated as possible. Two key things to know is what insurance plan you are on, and what doctors, specialists, and facilities are available to you on that plan. "So many people don't realize that when it comes to medical imaging and where to get MRI's done, they truly have a choice," said Joel Derington, director of marketing for Advance Imaging. "We make it easy by providing the best care, service, and equipment. We also work with all insurance companies, which is a must. Regardless of what doctor or medical facility one chooses, the patient's insurance must be a consideration. Fortunately we are contracted with every insurance company, with a few exceptions, and we also offer discounts for cash patients "When you walk in the door at Advance Imaging, you walk directly into the facility. No waiting in line or no stairs to climb," said Derington. "Many patients are on crutches or in wheelchairs and the accessibility is very accommodating. Patients are greeted and met by Annette, Sybil, and Mandy, and the waiting time is minimal. It truly excellent patient care" Fast, quality diagnosis is the key to getting injured players treated, and back on the field. We have designed our system for athletes to streamline the information flow, so that the athlete gets to the doctor with the films, reports, etc., in the shortest time possible. We even offer Saturday hours to accommodate those Friday night injuries. Bob Fair, Operations Manager "When deciding on where to get an MRI done, we need take experience, service, and care into consideration. One advantage that Advance Imaging has is that they have a full-time radiologist on staff . Robert Skib, MD is a musculoskeletal radiologist, and has extensive experience in sports medicine and orthopedic radiology, and is well known in the local Sports Medicine Community. "The equipment used at AI is second to none. Our MRI scanner is a high field scanner. Our MRI unit produces so much more information, than other low field, open magnets, that Our MRI unit is to MRI, what HD TV is to regular television. Other benefits of high field MRI are thinner slices and a smaller imaging window. This allows for detection of smaller, subtle injuries that might otherwise be missed. "Open MRI is a common topic these days. I would discourage athletes from going with open MRI, because the surgeons typically prefer an image from a 1.5 telsa strength magnet, or higher. Also, if an open image is done, it's very common for the specialist to re-scan the patient, adding expense and more hassles." Fair is the former head of MRI at St. John's Hospital and worked with General Electric, who manufactures the equipment. There is more to MRI than simply having good equipment. The person "driving" the equipment is crucial. Bob is our (not so) secret weapon. Advance Imaging was founded by Dr. Steve McCormack, an Edmond native, and one of the best renowned neuro-radiologists in the area. With McCormack's experience with neuro-radiology, and Skib's experience in musculoskeletal radiology, Advance Imaging covers all bases. For more information visit www.aitulsa.com.