California Pacific Advanced Imaging
Serving the Bay Area medical community since 2002
California Pacific Advanced Imaging Center is accredited by the American College of Radiology in MRI scanning, ensuring for our patients the highest technical and professional quality of examinations. The American College of Radiology is recognized as the gold standard in medical imaging. It sets and constantly monitors quality standards to continuously improve patient care.
We are open Monday - Friday from 6:45am to 6:15pm, Saturdays by appointment only. Same day and next day appointments are availlable and insurance pre-authorization assistance is available upon request.
Professional services are provided by California Advanced Imaging Medical Associates. All of our scans are read by radiologists who have subspecialty training and expertise in spine and musculoskeletal imaging, neuroradiology, and body imaging. Our radiologists also actively participate in the American College of Radiology RADPEER quality assurance program.
Founded in 1969, California Advanced Imaging Medical Associates, Inc. has grown to 68 radiologists who provide subspecialty expertise at 11 hospitals and multiple outpatient imaging centers in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as nationally through its subspecialty teleradiology practice. CAIMA's mission is to work with our hospital partners and outpatient centers to serve our communities and to provide state of the art, accurate, comprehensive and compassionate radiology services to our patients.
For more information see the California Advanced Imaging Medical Associates website.
Street parking is available, but non-neighborhood residents are limited to two hours. For a fee, public parking is available in the CPMC garage located at 2401 Clay Street (between Fillmore and Webster streets) and at 2100 Webster Street in the Professional Building. Parking is available 24 hours a day in the 2401 Clay Street garage.
The 1 California bus stops at the emergency room entrance located at Sacramento and Buchanan streets. The 3 Jackson, 12 Folsom, 22 Fillmore and 24 Divisadero buses all stop within a few blocks of the campus.
Yes, all appointments are scheduled in advance since we must obtain the referral information from your doctor and usually obtain insurance preauthorization. We are open nights and weekends for your convenience.
Yes, you have the right to choose any imaging facility to have your examination performed.
In some cases, yes, especially if you are going to receive a contrast injection. Please refer to the appropriate MRI scheduling forms for further information.
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your appointment. If you would like, you can download the patient history form, fill it out and bring it you your appointment.
Many insurance companies require pre authorization for MRI scans. We will work with your referring physician to obtain the necessary insurance authorization. Payment for the study is ultimately your responsibility, so it is important to obtain your authorization before your scan is scheduled.
If you have a prescription from your doctor, we can do the scan, and we do offer a discount for payment at the time of study. Please call us for further information.
You will change into a patient gown in a private room and will remove all metal, jewelry, etc. The technologist will show you into the MRI suite where you will lay on the table. The table will be advanced into the scanner, and the technologist will perform the scan staying in constant contact with you. You will also be provided earplugs to decrease the normal noise the scanner makes during the scan.
Most scans take approximately 30-45 minutes. Breast MRIs and biopsies take longer, up to an hour.
No. While our technologists are experts in obtaining the images, the studies are carefully reviewed by our specialized radiologists who will prepare a report for your physician.
In almost all cases, we will have the report available to your physician within 24 hours after completion of the exam. If we must obtain an old study for comparison, this may take longer. This is frequently true when reviewing breast MRIs. Your doctor will then contact you with the results. If your physician has determined that your exam is urgent and needs the results immediately, we will call or fax the results.
We will give you a copy of your scan on a CD to take with you. After the formal report is prepared, you may obtain a written copy by signing a written medical release form.
We are accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR) as a center of excellence in MRI, and breast MRI. The ACR is the gold standard of quality assurance, and we regularly undergo recertification and monitor our techniques and quality. In addition, our specialized radiologists who will interpret your exam are all board certified, actively participate in continuing medical education, and participate in the ACR RADPEER professional quality assurance program.
Please call our billing office at (800) 295-2131.