Imaging Healthcare Specialists

A. IHS has 14 convenient locations, sub-specialized radiologists, exceptional customer service and lower prices compared to hospitals and other centers. We also provide a wide array of imaging services to address all of your medical imaging requirements. Through the availability of online images and reports, your physician is able to quickly access the information needed to make the decisions necessary for prompt, effective treatment. IHS can provide all of your medical imaging needs in a prompt, safe, accurate, comfortable manner.

A. IHS has multiple ways to schedule an exam at one of our facilities. You can call our main scheduling number: 866-558-4320 or any of our facilities directly. You can also e-mail an exam request or fax it to us at 619-849-4764. Please keep in mind that we require a physician’s order for most exams.

A. In general, all of our facilities are open 8am – 5pm, Monday through Friday, and many of them are open into the evenings and on weekends. We offer extended hours, opening as early as 6am and staying open as late as 10pm. We also are open Saturdays and Sundays at some of our centers. You can call our main scheduling number: 866-558-4320 or any one of our facilities directly for more detailed information.

A. We are open for patients on all major holidays. If you are interested in having your exam performed on a holiday, please call our scheduling office at 866-558-4320 to see what IHS facilities are open on that particular holiday.

A. No, a physician’s order is not required to schedule a screening mammogram. We do, however, request the name of your physician so we can forward the results of the exam to him or her, and have a physician contact available for any necessary follow-up.

A. The National Cancer Institute has developed a breast cancer risk assessment tool to identify women at risk for breast cancer. In addition to screening mammograms, complementary imaging technology such as Breast MRI is available at IHS for those women identified as at-risk patients. To perform this brief assessment, click here – please share your results with your physician and if follow up is required you can schedule that exam directly by calling our main scheduling number: 866-558-4320.

A. Currently, digital mammography is provided at our two San Diego locations on Alvarado Court and 1st and Laurel, as well as at facilities in Encinitas, Poway, San Clemente and Temecula Valley. To schedule a mammogram you can call our main scheduling number: 866-558-4320 or any of our facilities directly. You can also e-mail an exam request or fax it to us at 619-849-4764.

A. IHS provides the entire array of women’s imaging services including screening and diagnostic mammograms, breast MRI and breast ultrasound, abdominal ultrasound, image ultrasoundguided and stereotactic breast biopsy and QCT bone mineral densitometry. These services complement our other components such as MRI, CT and PET/CT to provide full service imaging throughout our center network.

A. Just call our main number, 866-558-4320 and ask to be set up for online images and reports. We will assign a user nameLog In ID and logon Passwordand set up a convenient time to load any required software on your existing office computer. All you need is a web browser and an internet connection in your office and we can have you set up to receive images and reports electronically in no time. To view a tutorial on our DR Systems Web Ambassador viewing software, click here.

A. Just click on the locations tab in either the Physicians or Patients section of our website. Once on the locations page, select a center by name or by clicking on the map. Individual maps and written directions for each of our centers are available in pdf format and can be printed out on your home or office computer.

A. Various exams involve different preparations, some requiring either fasting or the ingestion of contrast material prior to the exam to optimize the image quality of the study. To review the preparation requirements for most exams click here, or call our scheduling department at 866-558-4320.

A. Exams take anywhere from 5-10 minutes for an x-ray to over an hour for certain interventional procedures. Most exams take a half hour to 45 minutes, including the time before and after the actual scan. If you have a time constraint in conjunction with your scheduled exam with IHS, please call us at 866-558-4320 and let us know and we can provide you with additional information relative to the specific exam you have scheduled with us.

A. The images from your exam as well as the associated report are available from IHS in an extremely prompt fashion. However, please allow some time for your physician to correlate the results of your exam with other pertinent information so they can follow up with you and coordinate any necessary treatment.

A. IHS staff and radiologists follow the ALARA (As Low as Reasonably Achievable) approach to any imaging technology that we provide that emits radiation. In order to become accredited by the American College of Radiology, imaging providers must meet certain criteria for the provision of low-dose CT and IHS has a strong tradition of not only meeting the ACR’s requirements, but also striving for ALARA dosage while still attaining quality study results.

A. There are two significant advantages of QCT compared to conventional DEXA. In the lumbar spine, QCT can isolate the trabecular bone component and produce a bone mineral density that does not include cortical bone. For example, in many patients, lumbar spine DEXA bone mineral density is often rendered imprecise by hypertrophic bone spurs, end-plate sclerosis, degenerative disc disease and overlying vascular or node calcifications. The second advantage is the much greater precision of QCT compared to DEXA when monitoring the results of various treatments for osteoporosis. QCT is able to detect much smaller changes in bone mass compared to DEXA (1-2% versus 4-5%).

A. Coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) is an exam that can be performed with a traditional CT scanner that provides an indication of the amount of calcified plaque in your arteries and therefore your associated risk for heart disease. Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA) utilizes a multi-slice CT scanner, such as our 64 slice CT in La Jolla, to evaluate specific areas of concern for heart disease, often eliminating the need for a more expensive, invasive cardiac catheterization procedure.

A. Yes, in most instances you can. IHS will perform a screening analysis prior to your exam to ensure that your scan will be safe and not impacted by the metal in your body.

A. IHS accepts most insurance. If you have a question as to whether your insurance will cover your exam at IHS, you can call our scheduling department at 866-558-4320.

A. Yes, our Simple Cash Fee Schedule is posted on our website.

A. If you have a question about your bill, please call our billing company, Zotec Partners, at 877-207-8247.

A. We welcome your comments via phone, fax, e-mail or in writing. For information on how to reach us, you can visit the ABOUT/CONTACT tab on our website.