Whole Body Screening MRI Near Tucson

At Southern Arizona Radiology Associates (SARA), we are dedicated to patient safety, transparency in medicine, and preventative healthcare. Due to popular demand, we leverage the most advanced AI-assisted 3T MRI in Southern Arizona to offer Whole Body Screening MRI in our suite of preventative health imaging services, giving you an alternative to profit-driven venture capital and private equity funded companies offering this service at a hefty premium in major metropolitan areas. The radiologists at SARA serve as responsible expert subspecialty medical imaging physicians for anyone in our Southern Arizona communities interested in obtaining this scan. We are proud to offer this service for an out-of-pocket self-pay price of $500 (this price may change to meet overhead costs and demand). This service is only available at our Green Valley location. 

What is Whole Body Screening MRI?

SARA’s Whole Body Screening MRI is a non-invasive elective supplemental health screening exam that scans you from the head through the pelvis without using harmful radiation, covering all solid organs in the body, potentially uncovering some cancers and numerous chronic diseases. The scan is safe, does not require IV pokes for contrast, and uses advanced imaging techniques that capture detailed images of your head through your pelvis using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The scan supplements, but does not replace other screening tools recommended by your healthcare provider. SARA’s Whole Body Screening MRI offers the same scan and benefits compared to the following scans from profit-driven venture capital and private equity funded companies headlined in the media:

  • Prenuvo: Head & Torso ($1799)
  • Ezra: Full Body Flash ($1350)
  • SimonMed: SimonOne Body ($650)

Why is Whole Body Screening MRI Popular Now?

Artificial intelligence-assisted 3T MRI allows short scans with improved image quality and accuracy. Our new 3T MRI at SARA Green Valley is equipped with deep learning based artificial intelligence technology that works seamlessly alongside our skilled radiologists to enhance both the efficiency and accuracy of your scan, revolutionizing the way we perform MRI scans. By leveraging deep learning algorithms, we are able to reduce a scan the previously would take 90-120 minutes into a short 30 minute scan, while maintaining or even improving image quality. 

During our MRI exam, you will lie comfortably on a scanning table that slides into the MRI machine. Our MRI machine is designed for maximum patient comfort, featuring a 70 cm wide bore, a wide table that is low to the ground, feet first scanning, and a new adaptive lightweight and flexible coil that feels like a blanket. The machine is a powerful magnet and uses radio waves and a computer to create detailed images of your body. You will be able to resume normal activities immediately afterward.

Important Considerations for SARA’s Whole Body Screening MRI

While the scan provides images of all solid organs in your body and can uncover some cancers and numerous chronic disease processes before they cause symptoms, it is important to understand the following:

  • The scan does not replace established gold-standard health screening exams recommended by your healthcare provider. These other tests include, but are not limited to: physical exam (including blood pressure and other vital signs), mammography, pap smear, colonoscopy (or CT colonography), blood tests (blood counts, cholesterol, metabolic panel, PSA, etc), urine tests, DEXA bone densitometry, low dose chest CT (lung cancer screening), coronary artery CT and CTA (coronary artery disease), mental health screening, etc.
  • The scan is not supported by evidence in the medical literature as an effective screening tool in an average-risk population.
  • The American College of Radiology (ACR) recommends against using this scan for screening purposes in an average-risk population.
  • The scan will not discover all cancers and other disease processes, therefore a negative scan does not mean with certainty that there is no cancer or other disease (false negative). The scan is inherently poor at detecting the following cancers: lung, gastrointestinal, breast, prostate, skin, and cervical cancer, among others; the scan is also unable to detect many small cancers. The absence of intravenous contrast also degrades the ability for the scan to detect cancers and other diseases.
  • The scan is likely to discover benign processes (e.g. cysts, benign masses, etc.) that may have no impact on morbidity/mortality, but which could require additional testing such as follow up MRI, other imaging tests, biopsy, and/or surgery (false positive).
  • We require an order from a healthcare provider to obtain the scan. The healthcare provider who orders the scan will be responsible for accepting the results and recommendations from the scan, integrating them into your healthcare plan, and managing your follow-up care and next steps.
  • We believe it is irresponsible for a radiology practice to offer consultation following the scan. The radiologists at SARA are extraordinary nonclinical expert subspecialty medical imaging doctors, but are not trained nor experienced in primary care and patient management. We believe an established primary care provider or other managing clinical healthcare provider is the most accomplished, experienced, prepared, and appropriate person to most safely provide this consultation. This is why we require an order for the exam.
  • The scan is designed to take about 30 minutes. Exact scan time can vary based on multiple factors, including patient height. Plan for about a 1 hour appointment.
  • The scan is only available for an out-of-pocket self-pay price of $500 (this price may change to meet overhead costs and demand).
  • FSA and HSA funds can be used to pay for the scan.
  • Insurance does not cover any of the cost of the scan.

Schedule Your Whole Body Screening MRI at SARA Green Valley

If you wish to supplement your preventative healthcare plan with a Whole Body Screening MRI, Southern Arizona Radiology Associates is the safe, responsible, and cost-effective choice. SARA’s mission is to bring safe, compassionate, and timely medical imaging services to all of Southern Arizona. We have a duty to keep our community safe and well-informed regarding healthcare. Schedule your Whole Body Screening MRI at SARA Green Valley. 

We perform the gamut of medical imaging services at SARA. If you wish to obtain any additional imaging at SARA (out-of-pocket or through insurance), please obtain an order from your healthcare provider. Our suite of screening/preventative medical imaging exams includes:

  • Breast Cancer: Screening Mammogram, Diagnostic Mammogram, Breast Ultrasound, Breast MRI
  • Lung Cancer: Low Dose Chest CT (entirely covered by insurance if meeting criteria specified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; otherwise out-of-pocket)
  • Prostate Cancer: Multiparametric Prostate MRI
  • Colon Cancer: CT Colonography (currently out-of-pocket only; this service has been proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to be covered starting in 2025)
  • Osteoporosis: DEXA Bone Densitometry
  • Obesity/Sarcopenia: DEXA Body Composition (out-of-pocket only)
  • Coronary Artery Disease: Coronary Artery Calcium Score CT, Coronary Artery CT Angiogram
  • Vascular: MR Angiogram Head, Neck, and/or Aorta

For appointments or inquiries, please contact us at (520) 335-6849.