Express MRI to open in Village at Lee Branch
The Village at Lee Branch will soon be home to Express MRI’s second location.
After opening the first location in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, just over a year ago, President Jeff Waronker decided the 280 corridor would be a great spot to expand his business.
“We were working with a tenant representative and liked what he was telling us about the area and all the growth happening,” he said. “[U.S.] 280 has lots of traffic. We liked the co-tenants, and the shopping center has great visibility.”
Waronker said he feels like Birmingham and neighboring towns have enough people in the market to make it work.
The company has a straight forward vision for the way medical imaging — specifically MRI — is delivered. Its goal is to provide the highest quality MRI scans at the lowest possible cost in a state-of-the-art clinical setting. No doctor’s referral is required, and Express MRI offers same-day appointments.
Because many insurances won’t pay until a deductible is met, patients are often required to pay the entire amount out of pocket. Express MRI developed its business model centered on low fixed costs because there is no excessive operating or overhead costs like most large hospitals or outpatient diagnostic centers.
“We are trying to make MRIs more accessible and affordable for those who either don’t have health insurance, were denied access to imaging by their insurance provider or who have insurance but have a high deductible,” Waronker said.
The self-pay price at Express MRI is $399. There is no extra charge for the radiologist fee and no other hidden fees involved. Self-pay patients pay for the MRI at time of service with no surprise bill later.
“We believe in transparency,” Waronker said. “There are no gimmicks or hidden fees. It’s really been resonating here in Georgia, and I feel we will find the same results in Birmingham.”
Waronker said just because Express MRI is affordable does not mean the quality is compromised. Their MRI magnets are GE Excite 1.5T.
“We invested in a 1.5 Tesla machine,” Waronker said. “It is pretty much the industry standard when it comes to magnet strength. Patients will get the same quality of imaging at Express MRI that they would find at a hospital or a larger outpatient facility.”
Express MRI offers the following types of scans: MRI of the brain, orbits, chest, cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, upper extremities, lower extremities, abdomen, soft tissue of neck and pelvis, bony pelvis, sacrum/coccyx, breast implants, brain/head and neck/carotid. The only scans not offered are diagnostic breast imaging and arthrograms (joint X-rays).
The office will have one MRI machine and will take one person for appointments, which are scheduled every 30 minutes. The $399 includes the MRI scan, a copy of the exam and professional interpretation and a written report from a board-certified radiologist sent within 24 hours of the exam. The office will also fax the report to the referring physician if there was a referral.
Express MRI plans to open May 11 and will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Appointments can be booked online at expressmri.com.