Best Private MRI Clinic in Calgary?

[BigNumbers]

I have a family member who's getting some private MRI work done (Dr. referred), and they asked me if they knew the best MRI clinic in town, since I'm a native Calgarian and they're not.
However, like most people I suspect, I have no effing idea! So I thought I'd reach out on our popular, Calgary-based forum here and see if anyone had any experience or recommendations for a private MRI clinic in town? I thought Mayfair, just because they seem like a large outfit...

[Kjesse]

Three years ago, I had a family member that needed an MRI and it seemed to us to be a fairly serious issue.

AHS told she'd be on a waiting list and so we decided to pay for one privately instead. When the AHS nurse phoned the next day or so to schedule the day for the MRI (three months down the road) and we mentioned we were just going to pay for it and have it done privately, they jumped her in the queue and she had it the following week.

While we were grateful for what the nurse did, the system is clearly not working as intended.

Otherwise, I don't think there's such as thing as a better or worse MRI clinic. To me radiology is just that, and you just need to make sure the dr knows how to read the scans. And they all seem to know how to. There are only a few to choose from and most of them are contracted to AHS in any event.

Best of luck. The issue turned out to not be that serious. Hopefully your experience is the same.

[Northendzone]

Took my son to Mayfair diagnostics on elbow and glenmore. lots of parking (we were there at 8pm on a Tuesday night), free bottled water and complimentary wi-fi - go nuts downloading crap.

Much better than the MRI I had at the old children's hospital. Had to pay for parking, no free wi-fi, tap water only, and to top it off they were 25 minutes late for my appointment.

Perhaps I should have started with asking the op what does he think the best MRI clinic looks like? Good parking? Attractive attendants of your choice? Snacks? Convienent hours? On line booking? Frequent customer discounts? A drive thru?

I posted a question about this in December. Wound up going here for my ankle: http://canadadiagnostics.ca/private-...e-imaging.aspx
I called them for an appointment and they said they could get me in the next day, but I had to work, so I got it done the day after. But it was the end of December, so people were likely doing Christmas crap.

[Northendzone]

if you are willing to pay for the MRI then the wait time will likely be 36 hrs or less

[BigNumbers]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Perhaps I should have started with asking the op what does he think the best MRI clinic looks like? Good parking? Attractive attendants of your choice? Snacks? Convienent hours? On line booking? Frequent customer discounts? A drive thru?

I am not a medical professional in any way, so I am not sure what the best MRI clinic "looks like". I learnt from experience with a risk pregnancy for example, that EFW foothills is far and away the best ultrasound and maternal imaging clinic in Calgary. I learnt that they have the highest resolution ultrasounds and the Drs who interpret there are the best on the province with respect to pregnancy imaging interpretation.

I simply wondered if there was a similar thought on the "best" MRI clinic in town - meaning perhaps the best resolution imaging, best reading / interpretations, or whatever else is important with an MRI. Maybe we have a renowned radiologist in town at one of the private MRI shops, I don't know - and that's why I was asking.

[VladtheImpaler]

It doesn't matter - as long as you pay they will treat you well. I use them all the time for work, and when I had to do my knee 2 years ago, I went to Canada Diagnostic (I believe that's the name) across Macleod from Chinook. I could have gone in on 2 hours notice, but decided to go the following morning. They found the tear in my meniscus, so the machine apparently works. I would just say pick whatever is most convenient geographically and schedule-wise...

[Northendzone]

+1 for the Dr nick riviera MRI clinic

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by BigNumbers

I am not a medical professional in any way, so I am not sure what the best MRI clinic "looks like". I learnt from experience with a risk pregnancy for example, that EFW foothills is far and away the best ultrasound and maternal imaging clinic in Calgary. I learnt that they have the highest resolution ultrasounds and the Drs who interpret there are the best on the province with respect to pregnancy imaging interpretation.

I simply wondered if there was a similar thought on the "best" MRI clinic in town - meaning perhaps the best resolution imaging, best reading / interpretations, or whatever else is important with an MRI. Maybe we have a renowned radiologist in town at one of the private MRI shops, I don't know - and that's why I was asking.

You can always have it reread by another radiologist if absolutely needed.

Besides, if this is a musculoskeletal issue if it's 1) something severe (ie full tear of a ligament) it will be very obvious and 2) likely not change treatment for it anyway, just prognosis.