Community Highlights: Meet Brian Gay of First Look MRI

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Gay.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a radiologist, I’ve always loved MRI, which is awe-inspiring technology that allows us to see with incredible detail inside the body. Also, it is very safe, with no ionizing radiation like x-ray or CT. Without a doubt, MRI is the medical miracle of our time. So, after my residency, I was excited to obtain an MRI fellowship and then moved to Georgia to work as an MRI specialist at NEGA Hospital in Gainesville.

Over years of practice, I noticed a disturbing trend. Hospitals, large health systems, and investment firms began to purchase independent imaging centers and then raised the prices, sometimes by a factor of four to eight! At the same time, insurance companies raised their rates and made it increasingly difficult to obtain MRI scans, often denying the MRI outright or mandating months of physical therapy first. As insurance costs skyrocketed, patients switched to high deductible plans to lower the monthly premiums but then had to pay for the expensive MRI scans out of pocket.

MRI, the most powerful tool in medicine, was becoming ever more expensive and less accessible. Moreover, the big businesses that controlled imaging and insurance treated the patient like a number as they focused on high profits and protecting laws (i.e. certificate of need laws) to limit competition and keep prices high.

The final straw was when NS Hospital bought Medquest imaging centers, where I was reading. Overnight, the price jumped from $600 per scan to $2400. Same equipment and same radiolgist, just higher prices.

Finally, I decided to open a clean, modern, world-class MRI center with a mission to make healthcare friendly, affordable, and accessible to everyone. The plan was to keep it simple, with one transparent price for all scans and we would not need a doctor’s order since we would not bill insurance. People in Atlanta would finally have control over their health with safe and affordable access to the wealth of information from MRI. They could find answers the same day from an MRI specialists without permission from a doctor and an insurance company. The MRI would offer peace of mind if it was normal and allow fast treatments if it was abnormal.

So, in 2017, I opened the first First Look MRI center in Braselton, Georgia, and soon thereafter, a second center in Brookhaven. Currently, there are 7 centers in GA, TX, and CO.

In addition to MRI scans of one body part, we offer whole body scans, for peace of mind.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been anything but smooth. Most people are used to using their insurance and doctors always refer to their own hospital centers, or their own MRI scanners if they are orthopedic surgeons. Also, since our cost is low and we don’t require insurance, people are not sure it is real or are sometimes nervous to try something new. So it has been a slow and unsteady ride and kept afloat with money from working full time at my prior job. Otherwise, we would have gone out of business long ago. Also, in Georga, we have CON laws created by hospitals to keep out competition, so we can not open new centers in this state. But each year, we make small strides forward and are forever optimistic about the future.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In our health care system, patients are marginalized. Despite paying high premiums for insurance, they are often denied scans or told they need to do physical therapy for 6-10 weeks before a scan is approved. And scans are expensive, even with insurance, with people paying $700 – $1600 out of pocket. Also, there are long waits for imaging, sometimes several weeks. Then, after the scan, patients must go back to their doctor for another visit a week later to learn the results. It is complicated, expensive, and time-consuming to find answers and patients feel like they have lost control of their health, even they are the ones ultimately paying for everything. I am proud to give power back to the patient, allowing them to find answers without the need for permission from their insurance company. We have one transparent low price for everyone, rather than high hidden prices like most others. We would like people to know about the whole body scan that can be used as a supplement to the annual physical, labs, mammograms, and colonoscopy. It is a safe and powerful tool that can also give peace of mind to those who are worried because they have had parents or siblings die of cancers that were found to late.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Best – great weather and lots of trees in the city. Mountains nearby. Don’t care for the traffic.

Pricing:

• No order required
• Same day results
• Online scheduling in 5 min
• Low price of $499
• Video report from the radiologist

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.firstlookmri.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstlookmri/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/firstlookmri
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.gayfirstlookmri