A radiologist is a medical doctor (MD or DO) specializing in medical imaging interpretation who collaborates with other healthcare providers to accurately diagnose and treat disease processes affecting the human body. A radiologist may play an important role in your health care. Radiologists do so much more than interpret medical images, most radiologists also perform interventional procedures and provide consultation and education to other clinicians to assist in the accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of you. Radiology Muskegon is a local group of physicians providing diagnostic medical imaging services to the people of West Michigan since 1968. Entrusted by local physicians, we provide a comprehensive array of advanced medical imaging services, expert consultation and imaging-guided interventional therapies. The following is a comprehensive list of our provided services, by clicking on a link you can view exam-specific useful information. Your healthcare can be complex requiring the collaboration of many different physicians to accurately diagnose and treat you. Your primary care or specialty physician will usually request an imaging exam or interventional procedure for you to have based on your symptoms, clinical exam findings or upon recommendation from a prior imaging exam. In addition, your primary or specialty physician may consult a radiologist for additional guidance. At Radiology Muskegon, we have specifically designed our imaging and interventional protocols to ensure that you are receiving the most appropriate, safe and cost effective service. RadiologyInfo.org is an excellent online resource for patients designed specifically to provide patients with radiology-related information which includes appropriate imaging for a specific symptom or disease condition you may have. After an imaging exam or interventional procedure is requested, you may be contacted by a representative from the imaging facility or scheduling department to notify you of specific preparation that may be required prior to the service. The type of preparation required of you will depend on the type of imaging exam or interventional procedure you are having. For example, you may be asked to temporarily stop taking a medication, to have your blood drawn or you may be instructed not to eat or drink for a certain length of time before the exam. Additional preparation may be required once you arrive at the imaging facility such as drinking contrast material or starting an IV. In general, you should wear loose fitting clothing to your exam. You may be asked to change into a medical gown and remove jewelry for the exam. You should also be prepared to provide your medical history, list of prior surgeries, medications and allergies. RadiologyInfo.org is an excellent online resource for patients designed specifically to provide patients with radiology-related information which includes preparation required for a specific type of imaging exam. Depending upon the type of imaging exam or interventional procedure, you may be contacted by a representative from the imaging facility or hospital to arrange a specific time and date to have the service performed. Some of the Mercy Health imaging facilities offer same day walk-in appointments for certain types of imaging services such as x-rays, DEXA and screening mammography. More advanced services such as ultrasound, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine and interventional procedures require you schedule a specific time and date for the service. If you need to be scheduled for an exam or procedure, our goal is to minimize your wait to have the exam. Outpatient exams such as x-rays, fluoroscopy, DEXA, screening mammography and diagnostic mammography can usually be scheduled in 1-2 days. More advanced services such as ultrasound, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine and interventional procedures can usually be scheduled within 1 week or less. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), patients have the right to view and obtain their medical imaging studies. Once you arrive at the imaging facility, you should notify the registration representative or technologist performing the exam that you would like a copy of your medical images. After the exam is performed and before you leave the imaging facility, you should receive a copy of your images within minutes of having the exam. Most commonly, you will be given a CD or flash drive containing a copy of your images which contains built-in software so that the images can be viewed on most newer computers, including your home computer. If you would like to obtain a copy of a medical imaging exam you have had in the past, you should contact the imaging facility where you had the exam performed and our support personnel will help you with the process of obtaining copies for the appropriate exams. For additional information regarding image sharing and safe transfer of medical information, please visit to our Image Sharing page. Our goal is to interpret your radiology exam within 24 hours after it is performed. After your radiology exam is interpreted by a radiologist, a report containing the results will be generated and archived for future review. Radiology reports are part of your permanent medical record and are available for you to review or copy through the patient portal access. Your primary or specialist physician can also view the results of your exam through a secure patient access portal. After reviewing the images and/or exam report, your physician may contact you or schedule an appointment to discuss the results. Patients and referring physicians are encouraged to contact the radiology department if clarification or further guidance is desired regarding a radiology report. Our radiologists, imaging technologists and support staff undergo training and implement strategies to ensure that your privacy is protected. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a law established to protect patient medical information and maximize your privacy. Under this law, access to your medical information is only available to you and your physician(s) providing direct care to you. If you would like to share or allow other individuals access to your medical information you must have a signed document on file at the imaging facility. View our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices. Depending on the type of medical imaging exam or interventional procedure performed, the costs incurred by a patient will vary. At Radiology Muskegon, we provide medical imaging and interventional services for uninsured, self-pay, privately insured and government insured patients.What do radiologists do?
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Radiology Muskegon specializes in providing a comprehensive array of advanced medical imaging services, expert consultation and imaging-guided interventional therapies to patients throughout West Michigan. Let us help YOU today!