About CMI

Exam prices vary by procedure. We are one of the most cost-effective centers in the region. Our pricing is consistently lower than every major hospital in the region and other outpatient imaging facilities. Please get in touch with us at 503-292-9108, and our staff will gladly provide you with a cost overview of your specific exam before your study.

Most plans do require prior authorization for certain types of exams. You may call the number on the back of your insurance card, and they can answer any question regarding what your plan covers and requires. You may also contact us at 503-216-8436 or 503-216-8447, and we can assist you in determining if your plan requires prior authorization for your exam.

We do not collect a co-pay at the time of your exam. For this reason, we first submit a claim to your insurance plan(s) after your exam has been completed and the results have been provided. Your insurance plan examines your claims history and informs us as to what portion of the exam charges if any, need to be billed to you. This is driven and accounted for entirely by your insurance plan.

Please contact your insurance provider for specific exam coverage and network participants.

Yes, please get in touch with us at 503-292-9108, and we can offer a flexible payment plan that will meet your needs.

Yes, we will submit your claim directly to the insurance company on your behalf. We also bill secondary insurance when you are covered by more than one medical plan. Once we have received payment from all contracted plans, you will receive a billing statement for any balance not covered by insurance.

Everyone is welcome here. If you do not have insurance, our billing department will work with you to find an arrangement that will satisfy all parties.

Please get in touch with us at 503-292-9108. Our billing office hours are Monday – Friday, 6:30 AM – 3:45 PM. Or you may e-mail us any time at ORTRGBillingOffice@providence.org (Please allow 24 hours for a response to your e-mail inquiry).

We have high field short-bore MRI Scanners that are open on both ends and are bright and comfortable. Our scanners are high field 1.5T and 3.0T magnets to assure we are providing the best image quality. What sets us apart from most facilities is our experienced and friendly MRI staff that is here to support you throughout the exam. You are always welcome to come in and preview our scanners before you make your appointment.

Each exam has a specific protocol and time associated with that protocol. In general, MRI exams can take anywhere from 45-90 minutes; CT exams can take 30-60 minutes; Ultrasound exams can take 45-60 minutes; Screening Mammogram exams can take 15-30 minutes, and X-Ray exams can take 15-30 minutes.

Some procedures require you to have a driver for your safety. When the appointment is made, you will be told if a driver is needed.

Most exams will require you to change into scrubs or a gown depending on the area being scanned and the type of imaging being performed. This is to ensure patient safety and that there are no artifacts or shadows affecting the diagnostic quality of the images. Please note a lot of athletic apparel has metallic threads that react with the MRI Magnet. Keyed lockers will be provided for secure storage of your clothing and valuables.

We ask you to show up about 15 minutes early for your exam in order to ensure enough time to fill out the necessary paperwork, answer any questions you may have, finalize procedure details (i.e., make sure that you are safe to go into the MRI, pacemaker-free, etc.); and to help you get comfortable before your exam begins.

Your results are provided by our Radiologist physicians and communicated to your physician(s) within 24-48 hours. It is very important for your physician to compare our Radiologist conclusions with his or her clinical findings to present you with a complete diagnosis.  We encourage our patients to enroll in the Providence St Joseph Health “My Chart” program, which provides secure sharing of healthcare information. 

Yes. HIPAA regulations prevent us from mailing your images and/or report to your home.  You will need to fill out a release form and pick up a copy of your images in person with a photo ID.  For your convenience, we offer a secure cloud-based portal, AMBRA, where you can access your images via e-mail.  Please contact our medical records department at 503-216-0669 for more details.

That is no problem. You can simply let us know at the time of your exam which other doctors you are going to see and when you have a follow-up appointment. We will make sure that the doctor gets a copy of your report as well as the images if needed.

Please contact our medical records department at 503-216-0669 and provide your physician’s name, address, and phone number. We will be happy to send your images and report either electronically or via our respected and dependable courier service at no additional charge to you.

We maintain images and reports from your exam(s) in accordance with state laws, in most cases, for a minimum of five to seven years.

A radiologist is a medical doctor who has chosen to specialize in the field of Diagnostic Medical imaging for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. After completing an internship, a radiologist undergoes an additional four or more years of specialized training in medical imaging. The most important task of a radiologist is to interpret the images and data from your procedure and combine that information with the clinical findings of your doctor. We commonly refer to this process as a “reading” or exam interpretation. The goal of the reading is to provide your physician with a clearer understanding of what is happening inside your body.

Yes. All CMI radiologists are board-certified by the American Board of Radiology, which means they have completed a radiology residency and examinations, and they participate in ongoing educational programs. In addition, many of our radiologists hold fellowships in subspecialties like neuroradiology, musculoskeletal imaging, abdominal imaging, women’s imaging, head and neck imaging, and so on.

Not always. Your primary contact will probably be with one of our technologists who will perform your exam. Some exams require the direct supervision of a radiologist, while others are performed completely by the technologist and reviewed afterward by our radiologist.

Many of our CMI physicians sub-specialize in one or two areas of imaging. This means that they have completed additional training or a fellowship in a specific body part or disease type in addition to the completion of their radiology residency. Subspecialty training gives our radiologists a greater breadth and depth of knowledge that benefits our patients. Our subspecialty expertise includes:

• Body imaging
• Computed tomography (CT)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Mammography
• Musculoskeletal radiology
• Nuclear medicine
• Neuroradiology
• Pediatric imaging
• Ultrasound
• Vascular and interventional radiology

An imaging technologist is a healthcare professional specially trained, licensed and nationally accredited to operate various forms of diagnostic imaging equipment and safely provide high-quality diagnostic images and exams to patients. After careful review, the technologist submits each exam to our Radiologists for interpretation. Our CMI technologists are patient advocates and go the extra mile to ensure patient comfort under challenging scenarios and circumstances.

Yes. CMI employs only registered technologists specializing in a particular area (or modality) such as MRI, mammography, or CT.