California Advanced Imaging At Atherton

I will avoid the CA Advanced Imaging because they do not bother to send an e-​mail before sending your account to a collection agency. A simple thing could have avoided extra work on both sides. You had my e-​mail; why not use it? Your company’s billing department could learn to be more compassionate and recognize there could be a problem with a traditional communications channel. Things happen.
You have made a very negative impression on this patient. I will seek to direct all of my future MRI needs to another MRI company.

Great place to go if you need an MRI or CT scan. I don’t think anyone enjoys having an MRI, but this place makes it a lot easier to get through. The staff is terrific. They are extremely friendly and patient. The facility is very nice, with lots of free parking. Having music to listen to during my MRI really made a difference too.

Outstanding service all around! This was my son’s first visit to CAI and his first ever MRI. The receptionist was young and friendly; certainly appreciated on an early Saturday afternoon. The office was clean and inviting. Everyone worked efficiently and we were not kept waiting without acknowledgment. The gentleman who performed the MRI was informative, lighthearted, and even offered to make me coffee if I chose to stay. I felt very comfortable leaving my son in his care. I was correct. My son was concerned about feeling claustrophobic, but told me the doctor was really helpful and worked with him so he could be successful. The MRI was performed without a hitch and while we waited for the CD to be burned, the doctor setup the World Cup for us on his tablet– if I could give an extra star for that move, I would!

Most of the front desk personnel isn’t friendly. I think what happens is that there are several people that use the desk but only one person that manages appointments and checks in clients and if they’ve stepped away when you walk in, you’ll be ignored by the others sitting there.
Appointments can usually be scheduled within the week. I’ve asked to have a copy of the MRI to take with me and they’ll quickly burn a CD for you for a small fee. Billing is usually uncomplicated as they’re experience with billing insurance.
They have lockers for your belongings so you don’t have to leave them out and unattended.
The technicians are very nice and do their best to make sure you’re comfortable setting pillows for you and getting you music if you like. You can ask to listen to your own smart phone music too. Beds aren’t the most comfortable and it looks like they use the pillows over and over without changing the cases so I can’t give it more than 3 stars.

So I was referred here by SOAR, same as everyone else. And by referred, I mean that SOAR basically told me to come here, so I don’t have much choice.
I’ve had 3 – 4 MRI’s here, the most recent being today. Contrary to the other people’s reviews, I’ve found the staff overwhelmingly friendly and nice. I have never had to reschedule an appointment, nor have I shown up and had the appointment changed/cancelled…so I can’t speak to those reviews. Since it’s scheduled through SOAR, you make your appointment at SOAR so you don’t really interact with CAI’s schedulers yourself really.
I like that they offer you music to listen to throughout the experience (a very wide variety: rock, country, classical, etc. all kept up to date) and I find the facilities nice and clean.
However, what knocks this place down stars is the quality of the MRI itself. I’ve had MRI’s from a number of other places in the bay area and I think CAI’s machines are the most uncomfortable ones I’ve been in. Not to say that MRI’s are ever great experiences, but these are particularly bad.
The table that you lay on gets completely wobbled when the MRI machine is in action, which causes your arms and hands to become tingly/numb…making it very hard to remain still. If you put your hands on your stomach, with your elbows still resting on the board, sometimes it becomes very painful as the board shakes and irritates your funny bone/​arm bones.
The board also has a sandpaper like texture to it, so I would say it’s quite uncomfortable against my back, even though they lay down paper on it and I’m wearing a gown. It feels like your skin is on gravel.
And finally, though it’s nice that they offer you music, their headphones are really uncomfortable. Something about the way they hook up to the machine, it’s difficult to lay your head straight while wearing them. So often I find my neck in pain as I agree to a kind of awkward head position that I can’t move for the duration of the MRI.
Basically, this is a fine place but not the best. If I didn’t have to go here, however, I wouldn’t.

I’ve been to CAI four times now, for three different MRI’s. One time the connector for the body part they needed to MRI was broken, and they quickly rescheduled me for a different time.
Every time I’ve been there the appointment making has been painless (even if the injuries aren’t!), the staff have been polite, and the MRI’s as easy to bear as they can be. They even have a list of music that you can choose from, to make the MRI process even more bearable!
I’m also impressed by how updated they are, as I was given the option of either DVD or film MRI’s. I’ve been to other MRI places that still do only film.
Only bad thing? I think that they only do MRI’s for SOAR.