Complaint Review: Valley Radiologists Aka Southwest Diagnostic Imaging Ltd.

I want to make people aware of the poor business practices of Valley Radiologists. Although what happened to me, happened many months ago, it has taken me this long to be able to write about it.

On September 6, 2006 I was scheduled to have my annual Mammogram performed at Valley Radiologists, Sunwest Breast Center. Their address is: 5757 W Thunderbird Road, Suite W100, Glendale, AZ.

Most women know that a Mammogram is not a comfortable procedure to begin with. What happened to me was not only painful but inexcusable and shocking.

I was called back to the exam area by a female technician. I changed into the wonderful paper gown and sat in the changing room waiting my turn. The technician came out to get me and escorted me into the imaging room. She asked me if I had ever had this procedure done before and I told her that I had.

The Technician placed my right breast into the machine and got me situated. Being smashed between 2 plates of glass is not the best feeling in the world but I knew I needed to have this test done. There is a history in my family of breast disease. The tech began lowering the glass plates and when she had the plate lowered to about of the way I started experiencing a great deal of pain and burning. I told the tech that I felt something was wrong as it was hurting too much. I had never experienced this amount of discomfort from this procedure in the past. The tech ignored my pleas for help. As she continued to smash my breast the pain became worse. Suddenly I felt this burning and stinging and a tearing sensation. I started yelling for the tech to please stop that something was very wrong. She simply replied, Suck it up. This is not a comfortable test and you are fine. If I could have gotten out of the machine I would have slapped her silly.

When the tech finally released me from the machine I immediately grabbed my breast and felt underneath. My skin was seeping a fluid with a little bit of blood. I knew then what had happened. The tech had literally torn the underside of my breast open! I stood there for a minute or so trying to decide if I was going to continue with this procedure or walk out pissed off. With my family history and the fact that it had been a few years since my last mammogram I knew I needed to finish this test.

I turned to the tech and said Look what you did. You tore my breast! She completely ignored me and told me to get back up against the machine. If I had had my wits about me I should have walked out right then and there but I didn't.

The second half of the test was uneventful.thank god! The tech told me to go back to the changing room, do NOT get dressed and she would check the quality of the films and let me know if I was finished. I thought to myself, oh yeah we are done honey. I went back to the dressing room and put my clothes on. The tech came in a few minutes later and scolded me for getting dressed. I told her that we were definitely done with the test. She said that my films were fine and that I could go.

When I left there my husband saw how upset I was and asked me what happened. I explained everything to him and he felt that I should call a supervisor at the breast center and lodge a formal complaint. I have several health problems and I am also a diabetic. A wound is very difficult to heal when you are Diabetic. I knew that this was not going to be easy and for that reason I wanted to file a verbal complaint.

I made a call to the breast center on September 8, 2006 and the receptionist that I spoke to asked me what the nature of my call was. I explained that I had been injured during my exam and that I wanted to talk to a supervisor. After several minutes on hold a woman came on the line and identified herself to me as Emily Ryans. I told my story to Emily.

Emily stated that the tech that did my procedure was a float technician from another facility and that the tech should have pulled a supervisor into the exam room when the injury happened. Emily told me that the tech would be written up and spoken to. Emily also stated that she would personally call my physician's office and notify them that if I needed any medical care for the torn flesh that my physician should bill Valley Radiologists directly. Emily also told me that she would call me in a few days to see how I was doing. I felt at this point that I had received satisfaction and that there was nothing more to do. I thanked Emily for her time and understanding and went on with my life.

About 4 or 5 days later I started noticing some swelling, drainage and additional pain. I felt that I needed to see my doctor so I called his office. When I explained to the nurse why I was coming in and who was to be billed for this office visit she had no idea what I was even talking about. The nurse told me that they had not received a call from Emily and that maybe I should call Emily back. Now I am getting irritated.

I called the breast center again and after a lengthy interrogation I finally reached Emily. She stated that she had indeed contacted my physician's office and that she had left the details on a voice mail. When I explained that I needed to be treated now Emily refused to give me any billing information and just said to have my doctor send Valley Radiologists a bill. At this point I asked Emily why she had also failed to call me back and check on my welfare when she promised to do so. I was given a lame excuse which I do not remember at the moment what she said to me. I started to smell a rat but I did not know what else to do about this at the time.

I waited several more days and tried to treat my wound at home myself. I was unable to afford to see the doctor so I did not have much choice in the matter. I was unable to wear a bra and was just plain uncomfortable.

I found the website for Valley Radiologists and an email contact for the Clinical Director, Paul Ozello. I wrote him an email, on October 12, 2006 outlining the events to date. Mr Ozello did not contact me at any point however; the following events are simply bizarre.

Approximately, October 16, 2006 I received a telephone call from a woman that identified herself to me as Emily Ryan. (Please notethe first woman I talked to was Emily Ryans, now this woman is saying her name is Ryan. I would soon learn that this was a very big issue). Emily stated that she was trying to get to the bottom of what had transpired at the facility. The more this woman talked to me the more I realized something was very wrong. This was NOT the woman that I had previously talked to. The voice was completely different! I cut Emily off in mid sentence and said, Wait a minute. You are not the same Emily Ryans that I have spoken with before. Emily said that she was so glad to hear me say that as she had been forwarded my email from Paul Ozello and was told to take care of this matter but had never heard anything about it before.

Emily and I spoke at great length and we determined that there was a person within the company that had impersonated the real Emily Ryan. The best that she and I can figure is, an employee/friend of the technician that injured me, posed as Emily Ryan in hopes to settle me down and make me go away. Now we knew we had a rat. I gave information to Emily about the first Emily caller that she said helped her to identify the employee involved. I explained to Emily that I wanted a written apology from the technician that injured me. Emily said that she would see what she could do and agreed that I was at least owed that. Emily also stated that I may be compensated by the company because of what happened and how it had been handled thus far. Emily stated she would absolutely be in touch over the next day or so.

Let me tell you, at this point I was the most popular person on the face of the earth. I received telephone calls from the Medical Director physician and Mark Schmugge, Chief Officer, Emily Ryan, my physician's office etc. I was asked many questions and spent over 2 hours on the phone being interrogated. I made my demands known to Mark Schmugge as well as the real Emily Ryan. I wanted a written apology from the technician that hurt me. I wanted to know that the person involved was disciplined appropriately. I also wanted to know WHAT the capacity of the person that had talked to me as Emily Ryan was. How did I know if this person was supposed to have access to my private medical information? Was I talking to the janitor?

When it was all said and done I received nothing! I was told that I could not be given a written apology because it was a violation of the HIPPA laws. What? Now it's against the law to apologize?!?! I have several emails regarding this issue and they do acknowledge that the event did take place. I am not going to get even an apology because that would reveal to me the employee that had my medical records and lied to me as well as using another person's identity. (Can you say major lawsuit)???

Reflecting back on it, I feel that Valley Radiologists felt that I did not have enough injury or documentation to be a legal threat to them. So they acted like my friend and took what they needed from me (information and documentation) and when they figured out they were safe they kicked me to the curb.

It doesn't matter that I find myself unable to go back for another Mammogram. It doesn't matter that I spent 5 weeks in the house unable to go out because I could not wear a bra. It does not matter to Valley Radiologists that I am a person with feelings and that I have rights.

So if in ten years, god forbid, I happen to be lying in my bed dying of breast cancer are people going to say, Gee it's too bad what happened to her at Valley Radiologists. Maybe this could have been avoided. No! People will say.Why didn't she just get annual mammograms?

It is sad to think that due to the actions of some large corporation I am risking my health because the emotional trauma stands in the way of my getting a diagnostic test that could potentially save my life.

Christine
Phoenix, Arizona
U.S.A.