Imagine your doctor being able to clearly see what is going on inside your body without any incision or pain! Sound like the x-ray vision of science fiction or comic books? Actually, it's Magnetic Resonance Imaging at Providence.

The MRI Center at Providence officially opened in April 1999. Providence Healthcare Network, partnering with Waco Radiological Clinic, opened Waco's newest and most technologically advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facility.

Located at Providence Health Center on the second floor adjacent to Outpatient Services, the MRI Center contains the first GE Signa Short Bore MRI machine placed in the state of Texas. The additional computer software technology that is available at The MRI Center allows radiologists to identify abnormalities that can't be found with any other MRI machine in the Central Texas area.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a system utilizing high-field strength magnetic power to scan and image areas of soft tissue and joints within the body all non-invasively and with no pain. MRI is used to diagnose illness, detect strokes, tumors, abnormalities, etc.; enabling physicians to more rapidly and accurately diagnose health conditions so that proper care can begin immediately. The MRI Center at Providence offers unparalleled sharper image quality, ultra-fast scan time for the patient (usually between 30 and 45 minutes), and an "open design" allowing for lessened anxiety and greater patient comfort.

MRI results are read by Waco Radiological Clinic board-certified radiologists. The radiologist's report is then transcribed and relayed to the patient's physician usually within 24 hours of receiving the MRI.

MRI appointments are scheduled by the physician's office. For added convenience, MRI appointments may be made to either precede or follow a physician's appointment. For more information about The MRI Center at Providence, call (254) 751-4MRI (751-4674).