How could the MA Medical Profession allow a terrible company like Shields MRI to dominate the Imaging industry? They have a consistently low 1-2-point rating on Birdeye; I have a negative story to tell myself but would require more than 50 characters to do so.
I have right shoulder pain, commonly referred to as Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis). My NP referred me to an orthopedic specialty for a consult and signed an order for an MRI. I scheduled a ride with the van and was sent to a dirty old facility on Baker Ave. in Concord. I was asked to disrobe and don two gowns and place my things into one of two lockers. The lockers were padlocked; however, as I would later discover, my key would open both locks.
I waited for my turn for imaging in a hot storage room. When I was finally called, I was brought to a loading dock and lifted into a parked semi-trailer containing what appeared to me to be the original prototype of an MRI machine. I was un-ceremoniously stuffed into a long, smelly tube and told to remain very still, as if I cold move jammed into the narrow space as I was; I am not a large man.
The technician began the deafening machine, which sounded like the worst heavy metal band from the 1970's that you have ever had the misfortune to listen to, thankfully I'd been given earplugs to jam into my ears. After an interminable length of time, I was finally released, my ears and head still ringing from the experience. If that MRI facility was state of the art, then I'm of Royal blood.
The results showed nothing of import, according to the orthopedic specialist who was as helpful as a Supreme Court conservative 'supermajority' and I was back at square one. In my PCP's infinite wisdom I was told to make a second appointment with Shields for a Neck and Spine MRI, this time I asked for the Westford facility.
I can only assume that Acton Medical doesn't want to waist staff time on hold with Emerson Central Scheduling anymore than we, the general public does, and so the scheduling of an MRI falls to the patient. Fine, I scheduled another set of images with Shields and arranged for a van and driver to take me, only this time the facility was partially disassembled, unfortunately, the fine folks at Shields failed to inform me that the location had been rescheduled. You see, Shields mistakenly assumes that everyone possesses a smartphone capable of connecting to their automated messages. I'm 74 years old and living on a fixed income, I don't own an iPhone, my bad, according to Shields. Forced to wait for the van to return, retrieve me, and drive me home, I decided to make some calls to discover the reason for this faux pas. I waited on hold with central scheduling for 30 minutes while the operator called the main office, during which time I was disconnected. I called back, when she finally had an answer, Shield's insinuated that it was my fault for missing my appointment because they had fulfilled their obligations by notifying me in a format that my phone is incapable of receiving. I have a few choice words for Shields MRI that are unseemly for this missive. read more