Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 2 days ago
Vulcan Imaging is partners with Ascension / Saint Vincent's (see my other dealings with them).

A 100% disabled U.S. veteran claimed earlier in a 2023 complaint to the Better Business Bureau website, that radiology org Vulcan Imaging Associates was attempting to bill him for medical procedures. He writes that based on his status his medical visits should have been fully covered by the U.S. government. Vulcan Imaging would not provide in writing and with a signature, a statement backing up their claims.

My own experience with Vulcan imaging is their company is not reputable or professional and I would not trust any statement they made.

I was a patient of Vulcan Imaging MD Michael Brant Ruff who missed 6 inches of infection in my head / neck and evidence of a broken skull injury I almost died from in 2019. I include my April, 2022 call with Vulcan's Kim Mooney. She presides over 37 radiologists doctors in their group. I was told by Mooney that they "100% Stand By" a report of their radiologist who missed serious injuries in the MRI. She did not elaborate on who "they" were however. Mooney does not possess a medical license. I was also told they do not consult with patients and there was nothing their company could do in regards to my request to have a 2019 MRI scan reread, in which their doctor Michael Brant Ruff, stated I had no injuries and in which evidence of around 6 inches head trauma and infection can be observed. They would not put me in contact with the doctor or attempt to correct the error of their doctor.

Mooney gave me the phone number to reach the company CEO Eric Blackman (strangely she would not transfer me to him or his voicemail despite working in the same office with him).

More on my attempt to call (University Of Tennessee honors graduate) Neuroradiology specialist Dr. Michael Brant Ruff MD (Vulcan Imaging):
I'm a patient attempting to have a misdiagnosed MRI reread (Broken Skull). The truth of my issue is I had broken the underside of my skull, over about a year the wound became infected and infested with some type of parasite. I received a $600 bill from (Ascension) St. Vincent's Ambulatory Healthcare Network LLC in 2019 for this scan, I was told no injuries appeared here. Subsequent to this, between 2018-2019 I had several X-Rays and CT scans through Saint Vincent's East Hospital Birmingham AL., in which I was told no injury appeared. When I obtained my medical records of these scans, however, broken bone appears clearly in the underside of my skull in the exact area where I had (and still have) pain. How 4 different radiologists working for St. Vincent's could have missed this injury is concerning. I believe I may have been a victim of patient dumping (EMTALA violation) because I was a self pay patient and had no insurance or stated source of income.

This scan was done at Ascension St. Vincent's Trussville in 2019. 7201 Happy Hollow Rd Trussville, AL
Transcript
00:00All right, as always, you can go to YouTube channel My Medical Nightmare and see 40 plus hours video on
00:08everything that happened to me.
00:10All right, this is a recent Better Business Bureau customer complaint against Vulcan Imaging Associates.
00:18You can find this on the Better Business Bureau website, bbb.org.
00:24This is a group composed of radiological doctors based in Birmingham, Alabama.
00:30They've got close to 50 doctors in their organization.
00:35They serve multiple U.S. states and locations, including hospitals and healthcare facilities.
00:42If you follow my videos, you'll know that I was a patient of the doctors of this group.
00:47My case involved a possible medical fraud, negligence, and misdiagnosis.
00:55My issues are still unresolved in relation to this company, and I'll play a detailed account of my interactions following
01:05this latest Better Business Bureau complaint at the end of this video.
01:10All right, so according to this patient who submitted a complaint to the Better Business Bureau, this is May 22,
01:192023, this person states that he is a 100% disabled veteran in the United States.
01:27And claiming such a status, his hospital bills and medical care is covered 100% by the VA, the United
01:40States Department of Veterans Affairs, a government department.
01:44He mentions here how Vulcan Imaging Associates allegedly sent him bills for medical procedures, which as a 100% disabled
01:55veteran, he should not have to pay.
01:57And there was some back and forth between Vulcan Imaging and this veteran, and it looks like they wasted a
02:04lot of this man's time.
02:06And according to this patient, Vulcan Imaging would not submit in writing with a signature, a document to back up
02:16their claims, justifying their bill.
02:19If anybody from the U.S. government is watching this video, please investigate Vulcan Imaging Associates.
02:27Or refer this to somebody who can.
02:30This company is dishonorable.
02:32They are unprofessional.
02:34And you'll see here another piece of evidence backing up their underhanded business practices.
02:42And I'll play my own experience as to what happened to me as a patient of their doctors.
02:47The Michael Brandt Ruff MRI that I had done in 2019, I was referred to this scan by Northside Medical
02:55Associates, a nurse, James Frankie Curum.
02:59This is now Complete Health, owned by Faro's Capital.
03:04This is located off of Happy Hollow Road, Trustville, Alabama, headquarters in Pell City.
03:11Michael Brandt Ruff is a doctor who read the MRI for St. Vincent's Ambulatory Healthcare Network, LLC.
03:22That's Ascension.
03:25If you're following my documentation, you'll note here that in Birmingham, Alabama, we got a real big problem with responsibility,
03:36accountability, and radiology.
03:39And this week, I talked to the two main radiology companies in Birmingham, Alabama.
03:47And I recently spoke with Doyle Stewart, CEO of Birmingham Radiological Group.
03:54According to their website, they have 38 radiologists who work with them.
03:59And here in this call, you'll hear me speaking with Kim Mooney.
04:05She is the Administrative Coordinator at Vulcan Imaging Associates.
04:10And she states that they have 37 radiologists who work with them.
04:16So if you've got radiology issues, you go into a medical practice or hospital, doctor, you have an x-ray,
04:26MRI, CT scan.
04:28These are the types of doctors, and these may be the actual doctors, who will be looking at your scan
04:35in the Birmingham area.
04:39And yeah, according to my findings here, not very reassuring.
04:43If your scan is misread, you discover this and you try to seek a redress on these misdiagnosis issues.
04:55It's not encouraging, my experience here.
04:59You have reached Vulcan Imaging.
05:02Vulcan Imaging, Ms. Kim.
05:04Yes, ma'am.
05:05I called last week.
05:06I was trying to get in touch with one of your radiologists, Dr. Michael Brandt-Ruff.
05:12I had an MRI scan that was looked at by this doctor in 2019.
05:18I got a report with his signature on it, saying I don't have injuries.
05:24However, in the MRI images themselves, I have evidence of a very serious head trauma-based injury.
05:32And yeah, I was told last week that you guys would try to have this doctor get in touch with
05:38me.
05:38So it's been about a week, and I just wanted to see what the status of that was.
05:43Okay, so I did look into this, and based on, I mean, there's not anything else we can do,
05:53so there's not anything that Dr. Ruff can do to assist you with that, since the report's already been read.
05:59So there's not anything we can do.
06:01Well, I beg to differ.
06:03This was a $700 MRI scan.
06:05This doctor was paid to have this scan looked at, and he did not note the injuries.
06:10So he is at fault, and so is Vulcan Imaging.
06:15We stand by that report, 100%.
06:18Okay, well, the report is an error, 100%, ma'am.
06:21Can I speak to somebody in management?
06:25Yes, sir.
06:26I am the practice administrator.
06:29Okay, can I speak to the head of the company?
06:34Let's see.
06:35Who's above you?
06:38The chairman of the board.
06:39Okay, well, I need to speak to somebody in authority, because you're an error with your statement, ma'am.
06:46Not professional.
06:48I am so sorry you feel that way, but when you stand by...
06:50Well, it's not how I feel.
06:52It's the facts, ma'am.
06:55Now, what you...
06:56If that's...
06:57If you're what you're stating, I would...
06:59I mean, we would respond...
07:01You know, maybe if you consult an attorney to have...
07:04Well, I mean, if I can't speak to somebody on the telephone about this, I'd be happy to come clear
07:10it up in person.
07:13You're more than welcome to come up here and talk to whoever you need to talk to.
07:21Because this is a serious issue.
07:24I understand that from your perspective.
07:27Yeah, your excuses aren't going to cut it either, ma'am.
07:31It's not an excuse, sir.
07:33I really don't know how to help.
07:35What you should do is...
07:36Okay, you're in business, all right?
07:38Well, you have doctors who went to school for 10 years.
07:41They're millionaires, okay?
07:43They're reading radiology reports for hospitals and other doctors, okay?
07:48What you need to do is...
07:49You need to have them do their job correctly.
07:51And if they miss major injuries in patients that they almost died from, such as myself,
07:57you need to simply make an attempt to correct this error.
08:01Now, I could get in touch with Dr. Michael Brant Ruff.
08:03I could supply my records.
08:05He could look at these images again.
08:07We can clear this up in a few minutes.
08:08Could I please talk to him?
08:11No, sir.
08:12I can't reach out to Dr. Ruff.
08:15We don't consult with patients.
08:17That's a very sorry excuse, ma'am.
08:21I'm so sorry.
08:22That's our policy.
08:24Let's see.
08:24What can I do to help you?
08:26Let's see.
08:28Let's see.
08:31Eric Blackman is my CEO.
08:35Well, I mean, why are you mentioning his name?
08:37Why don't you just connect me to him?
08:39He's not in the office.
08:42Well, that's pretty convenient, huh?
08:45Well, it's the truth.
08:46Well, I don't believe you.
08:49I'm so sorry about that.
08:51Yeah, me too.
08:54Let's see.
08:55What I can do is I can give you...
08:59Let's see.
09:01His direct number is...
09:03How many radiologists work for your company, ma'am?
09:08I have 37.
09:12So you have 37.
09:13Why don't you take this scan, call somebody right now and have them look at this scan and
09:17correct this issue for me.
09:19But that is not how radiology works.
09:23We can...
09:23Yeah, you're not professional.
09:24We've already established that.
09:25Let's see.
09:26So...
09:26...
09:26You
Comments

Recommended