Suffer from claustrophobia, but staff was reassuring (and the Ativan kicked in). Very professionally done b

They put me in scrubs instead of a hospital gown so I could pretend I was in Grey's Anatomy. Half star deduction because the scrubs were too big so I had to pretend I was on Ozempic. read more

I just walked in and was told that there would be a one hour delay in my appointment. I asked why I wasn't notified earlier and was told because they just realized it. Very frustrating that my time is not important to Shields MRI. read more

Second try with Shields. Misleading and unhelpful. Have wasted big chunks of two days, unnecessary prep, including IV and have been set back a couple of months on needed imaging read more

As someone with Severe, PTSD, and claustrophobia. I have always refused mri's! I have never even been able to go in an open MRI. Today I went to shields in Brighton do to the severity of my injuries. And although this MRI is wide open, I was walking out the door! Melida and Christina the two girls that were helping me, were the kindest, caring, gentle, kind, patient and so understanding. They didn't pressure me at all, instead they talked me through everything, Christina stayed in the room with me and held my hand the entire time. Melida talked to me through the entire MRI. Two Angels who should be recognized for Thier caring. Shields is lucking to have these 2 wonderful girls. If you need an MRI, these are the 2 people you want doing it! Thanks girl's!!!!!! read more

thank God for offices like this one in Brighton! from the moment I entered the office I was met with Gaby she was so pleasant and reassuring as I suffer with claustrophobia. Gabby assured me I would be taken care of and I was by the two ROCK STARS Harry and Stephanie. They were funny which lighten up the whole MRI process, they were extremely patient with my questions and my nerves! They make an awesome team! I HIGHLY recommend them. Gabby was so hospitable and got me coffee plus a glass of water after while in the waiting room...Harry mentioned to her I stated I was thirsty now that attention to detail made what started as a very stressful morning into a very nice experience!! Thank you Gabby, Stephanie & HARRY!! read more

Really impressed with this facility. 1. Staff was professional, friendly, and upbeat, even late at night on a rainy day. 2. The MRI rooms have headphones with XM radio, which is a great plus compared to the elevator music you're usually stuck with. 3. The staff is really attentive - they noticed me covering my eyes due to the light glare, and brought out a sheet to cover my eyes with! 4. Facility was on time, efficient, and helped me get in and out ahead of schedule. 5. Fast wifi in the waiting room. All in all, a great experience and a notch above other places I've visited. read more

I had a spine MRI here after failing one in the hospital because of claustrophobia . From when I booked the appointment to the actual test the staff was terrific. I only regret I did not know about this years ago when spine issues started. It was a comfortable and stress free experience. read more

You know how much fun it is to get an MRI? No? Well let me tell you! First off, you need to do something amusing to your body, like being hit by a truck! Then, you need to see a doctor who says "Uh oh, better get an MRI" so you quickly schedule the appointment so he can see your joint exactly as it is which means you're probably going in really early. Next there's the waking up early part (cuz you were right. 7:40 report time, ouch!) and trapsing in through the cold. As though this wasn't amusing enough you'll be flat on your back inside a claustrophobia-inducing tube lying COMPLETELY STILL while a very loud machine clacks and clangs around you. So why four stars? Well, because shields didn't make me hate it. The receptionist was super-friendly, the techs were AMAZING (especially when I apparently twitched somehow and screwed up a scan), AND they let me pick my XM station (side note: at lower volumes most new alternative sounds like old sisters of mercy. who knew?). Oh, and did I mention the free wifi? YES! free wifi while you wait! So awesome. Ok, so while I never ever want to come back, I think this place is totally amazing. HEARTS YOU SHIELDS! read more

To be honest, I never want to see this place again. Who would? It means your body is screwed up, probably due to your own stupidity, and you had to skip work/school/Bravo marathons to have medical professionals point this painful truth out to you. Thanks for the shiny blue prescrip, Doc. Your tsk-tsk's are noted. Yes, I fucked up my shoulder because I thought it'd be a good idea to let my body go parallel to the ground and land on it. Arm bone/connected to the/BIGSWOLLENBALLINSOCKETICANTMOVE. My orthopaedic surgeon, this guy, he says to me, he says "Get an MRI. Now." Then he sends me on my way. First and foremost, Shields offers complimentary shuttling to and from their location. Ideal if say, you broke your driving bone. Second, the office, while boring and brick on the outside, was extremely clean and actually welcoming. Free coffee in the lobby, cable TV with Oprah's big smiling head, new issues of Time, National Geographic, Seventeen and Sports Illustrated, plastic plantlife, etc. Guess what I stared at in my five minute wait? C'mon, guess. Wrong. The employees are incredibly friendly and polite to no end. They recognize the intimidation of MRIs and the medieval death chambers that produce them, thereby striving for total patient service. I felt at ease putting my pocket contents in a locker, totally calm when they asked if I had metal in my eyes, completely relaxed when they conveyor belted my frozen body into a large mechanical vagina. Did I mention XM radio while magnetic waves paint the grayscale landscape of my physical manifestation in 30 minutes or less? OH YEAH! Point being: the procedure was quick and painless, with genuine concern about my comfort through the entire process. Stay away if you can; however, if Lady Injury comes a-knockin', Shields will keep your van a-rockin'. So says the bumper sticker. read more

Well the MRI process is not an especially pleasant one in any way - it involves laying still for over 30 minutes while inserted into the MRI machine (I am sure it has a fancy formal name). The magnets which take the pictures are extremely noisy and having dye injected into your body is not fun either. However, if you do have to go through the MRI process, I really recommend Shields MRI. The place is super clean, and the staff is kind, professional and helpful. All my questions were patiently answered I felt that I am in good hands. read more

Egregiously unprofessional in every way. 1) Nurse #1 gave me an IV in my right arm and walked out. Nurse #2 walks in, started swabbing down my left arm, was about to poke me for the other IV, I happened to ask why I need two IVs. Nurse #2 says "OHHH, didn't see the other one there". Had I not spoken up I would have gotten poked twice for nothing. 2) The person putting me in the MRI scanner did not give me earplugs even though a jar of them was sitting right there. As a result, I had to sit through 20 minutes of the loud MRI scanner noises, which is known to be bad for one's hearing. When I got out of the scanner and pointed out the jar of earplugs to the nurse, he said "oh yeah, I probably should have given you some of those" 3) The rule of thumb at this place seems to be that nobody gives you any information about anything or have any idea what is going on. When I finished my scan, I was given no debriefing of any kind or told anything about what the followup would be. Later, I brought in a CD with a scan from another center, to be compared with a scan I had done with Shields (as they had recommended me to do). The person at the desk said it would be "added to my file". A week and a half later, I checked with my doctor to see whether the comparison had been done yet; my doctor called Shields and Shields said it had not been added to my file yet. If you're going there you probably have no choice, but DO NOT assume they know what they're doing, be a pain in the ass if you must. read more

I came here because it had an open MRI machine. the regular kind spooked me. They are very professional, friendly, and the place is clean. The actual technician who performed the MRI was very friendly, he clearly explained the process, and was gentle when injecting me with the special dye. I felt like he cared. Doing this made the whole process go smoothly. I came back after my surgery and it was again professional. read more

I had a bad experience here. Would suggest sticking with the major hospital networks instead, or else you might end up with an unexpected large bill in the mail afterwards. I have good insurance from a major employer, and ended up with a $300 bill in the mail. read more

Had to go to Shields after a spill on Halloween. Clean place and staff was friendly and helpful. They even played some good electronica music as I got cooked in the machine. read more

After suffering through an mri at Shields in Brighton, Ma. , which I could not finish because my back hurt so badly, I ended up needing another one. I called Shields MRI on Western Ave. in Brighton to discuss not having had my previous one in an open bore machine. They told me they only have 1 machine there and insisted it was an open MRI machine. After I said it was not an open machine 3 times, the receptionist finally said no, we do not have any open machines. I was appalled because they have false advertising and insisted it was an open machine. How can they get away with this? I will be contacting the Better Business Bureau. read more

Son's MRI was not of the entire area requested by doctor and the resolution was poor. Completely unusable. Also, waited too long for report which lacked enough detail to be usable. read more

Terrible experience. They seem to lack any knowledge about the most basic safety protocols. For your own safety, I suggest you go elsewhere.

Stunningly lacking in bedside manner. Because an acquaintance had rebooked appointment more than once due to anxiety issues relating to possible cancer, instead of showing professional understanding and empathy, the desk staff and manager refused to rebook again despite still being within rebooking period. Staff members were cold and critical and showed no understanding. Would not recommend this provider. read more

I had to pick up a CD with an old MRI, but couldn't make it until late. I called the office twice to make sure they would be open, and was assured that their Thursday hours went until 9:30. I take two buses, get all the way over there by 8:30, and the doors are locked. I called Shields again, and sure enough, they had gone home early. Thanks a lot. read more

Shields has very good personal, it's very clean, very professional. What they do not have is OPEN MRI machine at any of their locations. They have a wide-bore MRI which is 4" larger than a closed-bore MRI machine. If you have claustrophobia you need to consider another company that supplies a truely OPEN MRI machine. Pending your condition, you and your doctor need to discuss the differences and the need the doctor / radiologist has as far as reading the MRI. Again there is a big difference between wide-bore (4" larger) and a actual OPEN MRI machine. read more

Everyone was perfectly nice, but I was made to wait for over an hour past my scheduled appointment time.

I was dreading an MRI but thankfully I was helped every step of the way by the sensitive, warm, intelligent, patient, and caring of the team that helped me from start to finish: Heartfelt thanks to PATRICE, LEYANNA, AND HARY. Without their support and extreme kindness I would not have been able to go through with the test. They made it almost :) pleasurable ! Highly recommended if you ever need an MRI that is.. They are indeed experts at their jobs. read more

ok. so here is a review from someone who knew they had SOME claustrophobia, but little did i know just how much until i was strapped tightly over my stomach and chest so i felt like i couldn't move or breath well, then slid about 2 feet into the tube before my mind and my adrenaline overrides my body.. i freaked. thought i could go in with my eyes shut.. but with the pillow under my head, my face was VERY close to the machine. my tech was amazing.. she handled my panic very well. with the automatic tears starting to flow down my face.. i asked if i could go feet first.. she didn't realize the benefit to this.. but my mind knew the entrance and i wanted it as close to that part as possible. plus the one in chelmsford, has a lovely light glass ceiling of sky and trees so you felt that you were laying on a scenic field looking at the clouds. it took about 10 min for me to calm myself down, then she let me go in feet first to see if i could do it. and told me if i couldn't it was ok. i really wanted to get this test done to get to the bottom of my issues. i decided that laying with my arms above my head (so i didn't feel the machine on either side of me) with no pillow and my head looking straight up, so i could see that ceiling, was what worked for me. it was the longest 30min of my life. and she kept asking if i was ok. happy thoughts got me thru.. but i realized i do not like this, and never want on again. i explained to my tech why feet first worked. and explained that if you were to be lowered into a skinny well, or hole, and possibly needed to get out on your own, would you want to go HEAD first, or feet first... ? ya.. feet it is. but the place was friendly, and clean, and they must have some training in claustrophobia to be able to help those of us out that need a little mental boot camp to get into that machine willingly. thank you Shields of Chelmsford! read more