Westwood Open MRI

I had a brain surgery at UCLA and needed multiple follow up MRI’s. First things first, the head surgeon was not happy with the images quality. He said those open machines are not as good as the donut type ones.
Here is the fun nightmare: I was claustrophobic so a friend recommended Westwood Open MRI. I have full medical insurance and I called to check what my deductible would be. I was told $ 250. I asked for the cash price and they said $ 750. So I decided to go with the insurance option. A month later I got a bill for $ 980 and it shows my insurance paid them $ 1050 already! What a scam! I refused to pay the whole $ 980, they sent me to collection. Few month later I called the collection agency 714 number… They were nasty about it as expected and wanted $ 1025 to settle. I offered $ 250, they refused it. I called the billing office again, they claimed they changed billing provider. I called the old provider. The lady in charge with the records had quit. They give me a 949 number. I called it, and a young man answered and said his mom is not there and to call after 6:00 pm! Mickey Mouse operation.
Long story short bad quality results, horrible customer service: never ever again. SCAM!
And by the way I got the collection removed without paying a dollar!

Nice people, but SUPER busy. I had a 10:15 appt. that I left work to do. I was told it was a quick deal. 10:35 rolls around and I get my CT scan done, then another 20 minutes to get the images. I just wish I was told I needed to set aside over an hour, not just 15 – 20 minutes.

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Ys way but I’ll bee baa X w:
Twitter review of the eecellent Twtmt provided by Nrse Breunna, & Mark, the MRI Spclectcs. take you on the most plesnt MRI. Journey yet! With a wide eye view of the traffic on WW Blvd and the tunes of your choicè the usual clangs and noises don’t seem to mattèr. Staff great.

Excellent facility, easy parking, professional staff, AND I left with the disc to give to my doctor.
Report was e-​mailed to doctor within days.

I don’t normally write Unilocal reviews, but I had a great time in a position I was nervous in. Everyone treated me with such great respect and the process was done in a way that I can only explain as «Amazing». The techs made sure EVERYTHING I wanted was taken care of. Hopefully I don’t need anymore MRI’s, but if I do I’ll surely be back. Thanks Westwood Open MRI! And everyone who works there!

The staff and technicians here are amazing! I was treated so well and felt comfortable throughout the experience. The facility is sparkling clean and organized, and everything was handled with the utmost care. The entire process was smooth and I was very relaxed. Everyone working with me was professional and considerate during the procedure. I am so pleased with the entire process, thank you!

I will never go here again! I’ve been here twice and each time it’s been a nightmare from scheduling to getting copies of tests. I’ve been trying to go for a third time and after three weeks of trying to schedule an appointment I give up!!! I will never go here again. They tossed my order twice. they never understand my name I have to repeat it 5 times minimum. They won’t call the doctor I have to fix their errors. A month later still no test and now I have to redo approvals! Unacceptable!

I had back surgery yesterday (microdiscectomy for herniated disc) so I will keep this review short. In summary, I agree with all the other five star reviews: great, caring staff and state of the art equipment that made the experience not only tolerable but pleasant. I had an awful experience a year earlier in a closed MRI and was dreading the prospect of another MRI. Seriously, at the end of the 16 minutes of imaging at Westwood Open MRI, if they had said «oops, it didn’t work», I would have been ok doing it again. (That did not happen; they got perfect images.)
I am most appreciative of the staff for staying late to squeeze me in a day or two before my originally scheduled appointment. My condition had worsened (and pain increased) dramatically in the days following the Friday I had called to set up the appointment. I called at noon Monday hoping to get in the same day. They made it happen. I went at 7 PM, they did the imaging and, because the results were a bit alarming, they immediately sent some images to my doctor and promised to get him the full report by noon Tuesday. When I called the dr early Tuesday, he had received and reviewed the full report and I went to see him at 8:30. It was a long and exhausting week but I am now pain free and healing. Check out my other reviews to learn about the other professionals who made it all possible.

DO NOT COME HERE THEY ARE HORRIBLE. I requested my disc with results weeks ago and the women said she would call me when it was ready. They do not mail it– you have to pick it up. Wth is that? Such an inconvenience. God forbid they pay ten cents for the stamp. AND they charge you for your results cd. So you are paying to get it done, have to drive back to get the cd, and pay for the cd and have to send it to my doctor. Anyway– weeks go by and still I hear nothing. So I call and he says «oh yes it was sent to your home let me check.» He comes back on «okay it’s ready to be picked up» so I said please ship it to my home and he said we don’t do that. After he messed up saying it was sent already. Makes no sense. So I ask him «when was someone going to call and let me know I’ve been waiting for weeks» «I don’t know I didn’t take the order» SO RUDE so unprofessional. Everything about this place is an inconvenience. My doctor recommended it because it was close but I WILL drive further next time. This place is unbelievable.
UPDATE:
So I call yesterday to see what time they close. It says 7 on their website but since I have had such lovely service from them, I wanted to check before I drove to Westwood. She says they close at 6. I said well why does it say 7 on your website? She hung up on me. SO I call back and say «Hi I just got hung up on, why does your website say 7?» «We are open until 7 the last appointment is at 6:40.» So I said «yes, but I am just picking up my disc» «Well you’re going to have to wait, we are not fully staffed and you don’t have an appointment» obviously i don’t have an appointment because I’m picking something up!
So I get there at 6:15 and the women says you’re going to have to wait everyone is busy. OK? You can’t just grab the disc. whatever. I say no problem can you validate my parking «No sorry we only validate for patents with appointments.» So you’re telling me, I have to PAY for my disc which NO other place makes you do, drive there since you won’t mail the damn thing, and then you won’t even stamp my damn parking pass! So I ask to speak to someone else. Another women comes and says «Sorry your insurance only covers parking on the day you are being scanned…» yes I am serious. That is what she said. WHATEVER. so I say can you please check if my disc is ready. she says «Well the guys aren’t here who do medical records did you call?» I said yes i called and he said it has been ready for a while. She ends up finding it, charges me $ 25 for the disc, and I leave to then pay $ 5 dollars every 10 minutes I was there.
Needless to say– this place is awful.

Not all staff here were horrible, but Brianna is one of, if not THE worst person working in the medical field I’ve ever encountered. She told me I could not use the restroom until I checked in, or else I’d miss my appointment and I’d have a missed appointment fee. Okay, well, the really fun part is, after I used the restroom, then checked in, then changed, I still had to wait 20 minutes bc someone was in the MRI. So, let’s recap, I was told I wasn’t allowed to use the restroom unless I checked in, there is a a key, so you are at their mercy. Who in the medical field is allowed to deny a basic human function?
Horrible! I will never go here again, and the staff needs training!

AWFUL, WORST EVER MRI FACILITY EVER!!!
They have FAILED to do a comparison of my MRI three (3) week in a row
They have promised twice (2) to send it by end of day and did NOT
I called today and they said the person in charge just left (20mn earlier than he should) and I have to call back Monday morning???
I will never use this incompetent folks EVER AGAIN!!!
I give them ZERO STARS but Unilocal makes you leave at least one

Best MRI experience ever! I am claustrophobic and theirs is an open MRI luckily. It was an overall pleasant experience and the staff was very friendly and made me feel very comfortable.
They have you change and while you are changing, they ask what kind of music you would like to hear while you have your MRI. They are very efficient. Once you get in the open machine which is overlooking Wilshire Blvd, they put headphones on you. The music comes on and the more still you are, the less time the MRI takes. They put a special type mirror where you can view the cars passing by to pass the time.
The best part is parking is validated.

This was so great, fast and painless and everyone was so sweet!!! I was worried it would be weird or different because it was so cheap but it was exactly the opposite. no frills, no waiting time — just in and out with great service. absolutely nothing negative to say here. thank you!

I was referred to Westwood Open MRI by Dr. Charchian from The Joint and Spine Institute in Beverly Hills. I went to see him because I was experiencing pain in my right knee from an old injury so I wanted to catch any possible problems before it got too big. From his examination, I was told that my right knee was fine but he suggested that I take an MRI of it to make sure. So I agreed and was scheduled an appointment here. Upon my arrival at this office, I made sure to ask them what my insurance covered and what I was responsible for. The office told me they weren’t responsible for letting me know what my out of pocket cost was. The Joint and Spine Institute also told me the same thing. I should have seen this as a red flag – at any medical office, it has always been made clear to me what amount I was responsible for beforehand. But I had unfortunately ignored it and thought it was just be like the MRI I got at another place a few years back with the same insurance. The MRI literally took, at most, five minutes. I had to go back to The Joint and Spine Institute where I was told the results showed that my right knee was fine. I did not even get to view the results of the MRI. A few weeks later, I find a bill from this place stating that I owe about half a grand. I cannot fathom how a procedure that took at most five minutes and an insurance that had covered my previous MRI a few years ago would charge me this much. I was told rudely by the billing person that there’s nothing they can do and the staff at the office told me to contact Mike, the owner. I have called four times in the last two months and left two voicemails for Mike but to no avail. I have yet to receive a call from him – if he should even decide to return both of my messages. Meanwhile, I am receiving calls from the billing office about this half a grand I owe.
The Joint and Spine Institute in Beverly Hills told me that their office doesn’t take care or run the transaction for the fees. However, I requested that I received the receipt for my payment (Dr. Charchian was able to reduce the cost of my two visits from about over $ 300. to $ 100) and the small receipt was similar to the ones you would receive on the small credit card/​debit card runner many offices have at their location. I was obviously lied to.
He referred me to this office and I don’t want to assume what relationship he has with Westwood Open MRI and I don’t want to go as far as calling this whole ordeal a scam. However, I have tried to contact this business several times and have been ignored except for the automated calls regarding my bill of nearly half a grand.
This is an effort to contact a business who does not return my messages regarding a possible error and if not an error then my request for financial hardship and fee waiver/​reduction. This is also a warning to those who are referred here.

I’ve had mri’s and tests before but never have I been made to feel so comfortable and at ease as I have tonight here.
Even with my claustrophobia the size of the machine was comfortable and I was given ear plugs and a choice of music to listen to that drowned out the buzzes and banging of the machinery.
Breunna and Lisa who took care of me were efficient, friendly and overall wonderful. The gentleman who arranged my appointment helpful with my questions and accommodating to my schedule. Even Alicia who called to check I was enroute and let me know if I could get there early they could see me sooner.
I hope I don’t need additional mri scans in future but if I ever do I know where I will be going!
Thank you all for being awesome!

I can’t say enough good things about Westwood MRI. I’d never been claustrophobic in my life until 2010 when I had a shoulder MRI and had a full blown panic. When needing one for my back, I refused the standard MRI and was sent here.
The staff was all very polite and accommodating and made the process simple. They allowed my husband to sit near my head and I can’t tell you what a difference it made to see his handsome face. The machine itself it quite open and I didn’t have a single instant of panic. I would do this again in a second.

Complete and utter idiots. Not only did no one acknowledge that we came to the office — when we got there on time, but we waited for ½ hour for someone to help us and then first give us forms. After the MRI, the doctor said the CD ROM had only the vertical half of the images.
As for the other posts, they are definitely fake. One talks about every time he gets an MRI — like that’s a routine occurrence. The other talks about how wonderful the owner is, like he’s roaming the hallways and getting to know patients. How wonderful it is looking out the window to see Westwood — when you get an MRI your lying down and you can only see the ceiling dumbass, standing up you see two lanes of traffic on Wlshire blvd. at most. Another talks about the actual magnet, like anyone would or could recall that it was a Siemens — and if that wasn’t enough, that it was a «high Field» open MRI. Idiots and liars.

I have been to countless doctor’s offices, hospitals and other medical facilities in recovery from a recent accident. Westwood MRI has been the best experience of any. Each doctor that has ordered my MRI’s have highly recommended Westwood. The staff is very friendly and attentive and the office has a pretty great aesthetic, even for this interior designer.

I cannot say enough about Westwood MRI. I am very claustrophobic and have tried several times to have an MRI on my neck and head. I ended up being sedated to have it done.
I came here and was very nervous.. The open MRI was helpful, but I could not have done it with out the help of the staff. The woman talked me thru the entire process and was very encouraging. I got to listen to music and look out the window in Westwood.
The facility is the best. It was the best experience considering my anxiety.
The staff at Westwood MRI are amazing.

Finally a great MRI machine, great staff and a nice waiting area w coffee and Noah’s Bagels.
Parking validated ;)
Bring your own music and relax