GLENWOOD SPRINGS \u2014 A few weeks ago, Aileen Duke\u2019s physician recommended she have a thyroid ultrasound, so the Gypsum resident pulled out her\u00a0phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband and I are both self-employed so we have a very high deductible,\u201d Duke said. \u201cWe pay out of pocket, so we call around.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Duke found her simple goal of getting cost comparisons for ultrasound services became an involved search for information. When she contacted local hospitals, she was told she needed a code before she could obtain a quote. What\u2019s more, she knew from previous experience \u2014 her husband required a CT scan a few years ago \u2014 that charges for the ultrasound procedure likely wouldn\u2019t cover everything. Duke said she had to pay an additional\u00a0$300 in her husband\u2019s case \u2014 the charge associated with reading his CT scan.<\/p>\n
Eventually, Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs told Duke her ultrasound would cost $3,000 in facility charges. Then she Googled \u201cthyroid ultrasound\u201d and a different option popped up \u2014 Compass Peak Imaging. Duke checked out the stand-alone imaging clinic\u2019s website and she was in for a big surprise.<\/p>\n
Right there on the clinic\u2019s web page was a pricing guide. The document listed 20 different procedures offered at Compass, the price for said procedures if insurance is billed and a discounted price if a patient\u00a0pays at the time of the service. Additionally, the guide stated, \u201cUnlike hospital-based imaging services, you will not receive another bill\u00a0for reading of the exam.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people on the phone were lovely and they told me it would be $600 for the work,\u201d Duke said.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the kind of story the team at Compass Peak Imaging aims for every time a potential patient calls.<\/p>\n
Transparency<\/strong><\/p>\n Compass Peak Imaging opened its West Glenwood location 11 months ago. The business is new to the area, but its operators\u00a0are not.<\/p>\n Dr. Elizabeth Kulwiec is a\u00a0board-certified diagnostic radiologist and a longtime resident of Glenwood Springs. She has more than 20 years of experience serving the local community. Likewise, the Compass Peak Imaging\u2019s director,\u00a0Jeff Vichick, has been in the area since 2001, previously serving as the imaging director at Valley View Hospital.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thought we could provide a better service, with better pricing and transparency in our pricing,\u201d Kulwiec said. \u201cA MRI\u00a0should not cost you $4,000.\u201d<\/p>\n At Compass Peak it doesn\u2019t. The pricing guide includes six MRI procedures \u2014 some with contrast and others targeting specific areas of the body \u2014 with prices that range from $900 to $1,800. In addition to MRI scans,\u00a0Compass Peak Imaging offers CT, ultrasound and X-ray scanning.<\/p>\n \u201cThe prices listed on our website are for a worst-case scenario,\u201d Vichick added. \u201cOur price reflects as much as you are going to pay and in most\u00a0cases, it will be less.\u201d<\/p>\n Vichick said Compass Peak\u2019s prices reflect the fact that the imaging center specializes in diagnostic scans. As a result, he noted that Compass Peak Imaging doesn\u2019t have the\u00a0high overhead costs that a full-service hospital faces.<\/p>\n \u201cMaking imaging cost more reasonably priced, that\u2019s what we are all about,\u201d Kulweic said.<\/p>\n Affordable, not cheap<\/strong><\/p>\n While the operation touts its affordability, Kulweic and Vichick said that the lower prices at Compass Peak don\u2019t reflect a quality compromise.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know what the standard of care is in this valley,\u201d Vichick said. \u201cWe knew we couldn\u2019t cut corners and we invested in the finest imaging equipment in the valley.\u201d<\/p>\n Vichick said Compass Peak\u2019s business model rests on three pillars: transparent\/affordable pricing, quality imaging and strong customer service. That third item extends beyond Kulweic and Vichick\u2019s resumes. Vichick said Compass Peak Imaging\u2019s hours \u2014 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon by appointment \u2014 are designed to meet patient\u2019s needs. \u201cWe can also be flexible with our hours,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Because it is a stand-alone operation, Compass Peak Imaging is also convenient for patients. There is parking right out front and the clinic is easy to spot, on the north side of Midland Avenue west of the Glenwood Meadows shopping area as motorist drive Midland Avenue.<\/p>\n Growing Reach<\/strong><\/p>\n Compass Peak Imaging will celebrate its first anniversary on March 19. Statistics from the first year of operation show that the majority of patients \u2014 upward of 60 percent \u2014 come from the Glenwood Springs area.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we have pulled in patients from\u00a0as\u00a0far away as Delta,\u201d Vichick said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe majority of imaging patients go where their doctor sends them,\u201d Vichick continued. \u201cBut because of the costs of medical services, that is changing.\u201d<\/p>\n Which means comparison-shopping patients such as Aileen Duke are becoming more common.<\/p>\n \u201cI would highly recommend Compass. They are lovely people and obviously the price is a huge factor,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Duke added that her decision to use Compass doesn\u2019t reflect any dissatisfaction with Valley View Hospital.<\/p>\n \u201cI actually love Valley View,\u201d Duke continued. \u201cI have had nothing but\u00a0positive interaction with them. But when you are paying out of pocket, you shop around.\u201d<\/p>\n Duck said scheduling her ultrasound a Compass Peak Imagine was simple and the staff was kind and professional.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no doubt in my mind that I will recommend them,\u201dDuke said. \u201cAnd best of all, thankfully, I found out my thyroid is fine.\u201d<\/p>\n To learn more about Compass Peak Imaging, visit the business website at compasspeakimaging.com or call 970-665-2194.<\/p>\n