Patients
At GNMI we place quality patient care as our top priority.
To ensure we deliver exactly that, we: Employ highly skilled, and modernly-trained, Technicians, Radiologist, and Imagists; Equip them with state-of-the-art Medical Imaging Technologies; and, Provide an Accessible and Comfortable Environment, for you, to receive the examinations.
Common FAQs
“Is GNMI a private, or public, healthcare facility?”
(Ultrasound) "Why can't Ultrasound Technicians give me the results of my exam?"
– Ultrasound Technician are not medical doctors. Diagnosis, or treatments, can only be suggested from your physician.
(Nuclear Medicine) “Are there side effects from the radioactive tracer injection?”
– No, tracer injections are safe and cause no side effects
(Nuclear Medicine) “How do I get rid of the tracer from my body?”
– The tracer does naturally decay over time; however, drinking more fluids will
help your body to break down the tracer, sooner.
(Nuclear Medicine) “Can I travel (cross the border) after the injection?”
– Tracers can be detectable up to a week after injection. Many border crossing have
very sensitive radiation detectors, which can detect the radiation from your body. To avoid any issues, that may prevent you from entering, you may request a medical note from GNMI, to provide to border agents. We do recommend allotting yourself more time at the border, as it is highly likely the border patrol will still stop you, and check your vehicle more thoroughly.
(MRI) “Do I still have to wear my COVID face covering during the examination?”
– Masks/face covers are required throughout the entire GNMI facility; however, masks with metal strips will have the metal wire removed, or will be substituted, for a mask with plastic facial fittings.
(MRI) “Will I feel any side effects after my MRI?”
– No, there are no known side effects after a MRI scan.
(Breast Health) “How often should I get a mammogram?”
– It is recommended you schedule a mammogram every 2 years; however, if there is a family history, or if you have dense breasts, than a mammography examination is recommend every year.
(Breast Health) “Why should I NOT wear deodorant?”
– Deodorants can show up on the image, like micro-calcifications.
(Breast Health) “Can men get breast cancer?”
(Breast Health) “Why do I always get ultrasounds with, or after, my mammogram?”
– For some patients, with dense breasts, it is better to examine with both modalities, to capture the full collection of tissue. In many specific cases having both images helps to monitor the changes of cysts, or other abnormalities in the breasts.
(Breast Health) “Are, ‘call-backs,’ common?”
– Yes, don’t panic. There are multiple reasons you may be, ‘called-back.’ Closer, or more localized images may be required; or, have images with overlapping dense tissue repositioned, or moved, out of the way.
(Breast Health) “Is compression necessary?”
– Yes, breast tissue overlaps; so compression is used to move the overlapping tissue apart, so it can be visualized.
(X-Ray) “How harmful is the radiation from an X-Ray?”
– To provide a specific example, the amount of radiation from one adult chest X-Ray = 0.1 mSv ; or, the equivalent of ten days of natural background radiation, that we are all regularly subjected to, with daily living.
