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  • 18 hours ago
A patient who had a mammogram done in March, 2026 recently shared another double billing attempt by Birmingham, AL. based Vulcan Imaging Associates. She claims receiving numerous texts from the group due to a supposed outstanding balance for the radiology part of the scan. This alerted the patient because she never has a radiology charge due to insurance covering wellness.

After contacting Vulcan, they claimed to have never filed it with her insurance. In mid-July she started receiving texts again & reached out to Vulcan again who stated the insurance provider had paid them in June but "took it back".

Contacting the insurance company led to a 3 way call to clarify the situation with Vulcan. There it was revealed Vulcan received the payment in June and closed the account.

MY OWN PATIENT EXPERIENCE WITH VULCAN:

I had dealings with both Vulcan & CHC as a patient and customer in 2019 & share my very negative experience. My issues are unresolved / outstanding as of 2026.

Please see my several hours video on my 2019 MRI done by their radiologist Dr. Michael Brant Ruff MD. I had a broken skull injury I almost died from - 3 inch long insects & worms grew in the wound (SEE X-RAYS / MRI / CT IN VIDEOS). The MD wrote no injury appeared in an image review that showed 6 inches diameter infection in my head / neck area exactly the area to be examined, where I reported pain. Hear my call where Vulcan would not do anything to help me get their error corrected. The injury may cost over $1,000,000 USD to treat.

My call with Kim Mooney, Administrative Coordinator of Birmingham Alabama-based Vulcan Imaging Associates, who has 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.

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.
Transcript
00:00For all the details on what happened to me regarding my injury, we're pushing 100 hours plus of video now.
00:07YouTube channel My Medical Nightmare.
00:09New review out on Vulcan Imaging Associates.
00:13Located at 3300 Cahaba Road, Suite 300, Birmingham, Alabama 35223.
00:22And this is dated July 16, 2026.
00:26This patient writes, had a mammogram in March.
00:30Kept receiving threatening texts because there was supposedly a balance due for the radiology part of a mammogram.
00:40I never have a radiology charge due to my insurance covering wellness.
00:48I contacted Vulcan and they had never filed it with my insurance.
00:54Forward to July 16-ish.
00:57Started receiving messages again.
01:00Contacted Vulcan.
01:02They stated that my insurance had paid them in June but took it back.
01:08I contacted my insurance company and explained what Vulcan shared about taking it back.
01:16My insurance then contacted Vulcan and we had a three-way call.
01:21Vulcan received the money and there it was clarified that Vulcan had received the money in June and closed the
01:29account.
01:30Not sure what is going on with Vulcan but sync up your medical bills with your insurance account before you
01:38pay anything to them.
01:39If you only had to deal with Vulcan imaging associates and had a billing matter, you might have made off
01:47pretty good as a customer and patient.
01:49Because what happened in my case is I was misdiagnosed and I almost died because other doctors told me that
01:58I had no injuries present despite the fact that I did.
02:02Yeah, my experience dealing with Vulcan imaging associates and reading about others' experience is they will do and say anything
02:11to get your money.
02:13And once they got it, they will not speak to you.
02:16Their tactics involve targeting affluent communities, subdivisions, neighborhoods around Birmingham, Alabama.
02:25They'll go into an area such as Mountain Brook or around the vicinity of the Greystone neighborhood up on Highway
02:36280.
02:36They'll sponsor events in these areas.
02:40They're interested in a clientele who have exemplary insurance like a lot of corrupt doctors.
02:48Once they find security in well-paid insurance, the leech on Vulcan imaging, they regularly reply to reviews and complaints.
03:01But the reality is this is simply a token or a procedural issue.
03:08Whenever you call the number or attempt to communicate with Vulcan imaging associates,
03:14in the discussion starts to lean toward culpability, liability, or responsibility on the part of Vulcan imaging and their doctors.
03:25As you'll hear in my own recorded call at the end of this video, they'll start making up lame excuses
03:33and eventually hang up on you.
03:35I was a patient customer of a Vulcan imaging associates doctor and I'll go into my own situation with what
03:42happened to me.
03:43I had an MRI of my head handled by Vulcan imaging associates and St. Vincent's in Trussville, now UAB, in
03:532019.
03:55In my own scan, I was told I had no injuries.
03:58I knew better because I was close to death.
04:01Almost died from this.
04:02Went and got those pictures.
04:03I'll put the pictures up here in this video.
04:05As you can see in this MRI, I've got about six inches diameter infection inside my head.
04:13Vulcan imaging associates, neuro-radiological specialist doctor, Michael Brandt Ruff, MD, went to school for 10 years to do his
04:22job.
04:23He wrote in my records and report, which you can see in this video also, I scanned these in.
04:30He said I had no injury present.
04:32And so this created a very uncomfortable situation that has yet to be resolved and is outstanding as of this
04:42recording, April 4th, 2025.
04:46Took these issues to basically all concerned.
04:49And they all refused to correct their error, admit their mistake, do a reread.
04:56Oh yeah, and they sent me a bill for this MRI and it was somewhere north of $600.
05:03Interestingly, Vulcan was working with St. Vincent's Ascension, who did the scan for me.
05:10On November 1st, 2024, Ascension sold this location and five other hospitals to University of Alabama at Birmingham.
05:20And this whole system has been rebranded UAB St. Vincent's.
05:25Why did Ascension sell and leave the area?
05:27My story is definitely something that the public needs to be aware of because the practices that were allowed to
05:35occur in the St. Vincent's hospitals and medical facilities were probably enough to shut this place down.
05:42Just a personal perspective, my injury and all the complications, my own issue is worth several million dollars.
05:49All right, so today we're trying to follow up on the Michael Brandt Ruff MRI that I had done in
05:552019.
05:56I was referred to this scan by Northside Medical Associates, a nurse, James Franke Currum.
06:04This is now Complete Health, owned by Faro's Capital.
06:08This is located off of Happy Hollow Road, Trustville, Alabama, headquarters in Pell City.
06:16Michael Brandt Ruff is a doctor who read the MRI.
06:23For St. Vincent's Ambulatory Healthcare Network, LLC.
06:27That's Ascension.
06:29If you're following my documentation, you'll note here that in Birmingham, Alabama, we got a real big problem with responsibility,
06:40accountability, and radiology.
06:44And this week I talked to the two main radiology companies in Birmingham, Alabama.
06:51And I recently spoke with Doyle Stewart, CEO of Birmingham Radiological Group.
06:59According to their website, they have 38 radiologists who work with them.
07:03And here in this call, you'll hear me speaking with Kim Mooney.
07:10She is the administrative coordinator at Vulcan Imaging Associates.
07:14And she states that they have 37 radiologists who work with them.
07:21So if you've got radiology issues, you go into a medical practice or hospital, doctor, you have an x-ray,
07:31MRI, CT scan.
07:32These are the types of doctors, and these may be the actual doctors, who will be looking at your scan
07:40in the Birmingham area.
07:43And, yeah, according to my findings here, not very reassuring.
07:48If your scan is misread, you discover this, and you try to seek a redress on these misdiagnosis issues.
08:00Not encouraging, my experience here.
08:04You have reached Vulcan Imaging.
08:06Vulcan Imaging, this is Kim.
08:08Yes, ma'am.
08:09I called last week.
08:10I was trying to get in touch with one of your radiologists, Dr. Michael Brandt-Ruff.
08:16I had an MRI scan that was looked at by this doctor in 2019.
08:23I got a report with his signature on it, saying I don't have injuries.
08:29However, in the MRI images themselves, I have evidence of a very serious head trauma-based injury.
08:37And, yeah, I was told last week that you guys would try to have this doctor get in touch with
08:43me.
08:43So it's been about a week, and I just wanted to see what the status of that was.
08:48Okay.
08:48Okay, so I did look into this, and based on, I mean, there's not anything else we can do, so
08:57there's not anything that Dr. Ruff can do to assist you with that, since reports are already been read.
09:03Okay.
09:04So there's not anything we can do.
09:05Well, I beg to differ.
09:07This was a $700 MRI scan.
09:10This doctor was paid to have this scan looked at, and he did not note the injuries.
09:15So he is at fault.
09:17And so is Vulcan Imaging.
09:19We stand by that report, 100%.
09:22Okay, well, the report is in error, 100%, ma'am.
09:26Can I speak to somebody in management?
09:29Uh, yes, sir.
09:31I am the practice administrator.
09:33Okay, can I speak to the head of the company?
09:38Um, let's see.
09:40Who's above you?
09:42Um, the chairman of the board.
09:44Okay, well, I need to speak to somebody in authority, because you're in error with your statement, ma'am.
09:50Not professional.
09:52I am.
09:53So far you feel that way, but we stand by...
09:55Well, it's not how, it's not how I feel, it's the facts, ma'am.
09:59Well, now, what you, if that's, if that's, if you're, what you're stating, I would, I mean, we would respond,
10:06you know, maybe if you consult an attorney.
10:09Well, I mean, if I can't, if I can't speak to somebody on the telephone about this, I'd be happy
10:14to come clear it up in person.
10:18You're more than welcome to come up here, um, and talk to whoever you need to talk to.
10:23Okay, um, uh...
10:25Because this is a serious issue.
10:29I, I understand that from your perspective.
10:32Yeah, your, your excuses aren't going to cut it either, ma'am.
10:36It's not, it's not an excuse, sir.
10:38I, I really don't know how to help, um...
10:40What you should do is, okay, you're in business, all right?
10:43Well, you have, uh, doctors who went to school for 10 years, they're millionaires, okay?
10:47They're reading, uh, radiology reports for hospitals and other doctors, okay?
10:52What you need to do is, you need to have them do their job correctly.
10:56And if they miss major injuries in patients that they almost died from, such as myself,
11:01you need to simply, uh, make an attempt to correct this error.
11:05Now, I could get in touch with Dr. Michael Brant Ruff.
11:08I could supply my records.
11:09He could look at these images again.
11:11We can clear this up in a few minutes.
11:13Could I please talk to him?
11:15No, sir, you're, you're, I can't reach out to Dr. Ruff.
11:19Um, we, we don't consult with patients, um...
11:22That's a, that's a very sorry excuse, ma'am.
11:25I'm so sorry.
11:26That's our policy.
11:28Um, let's see, what can I do to help you?
11:31Let's see.
11:33Um, let's see.
11:35Uh, Eric Blackman is my CEO.
11:40Well, I mean, why, why are you mentioning his name?
11:42Why don't you just connect me to him?
11:44He's not in the office.
11:46Well, that's pretty convenient, huh?
11:49Well, it's the truth, um...
11:51Well, I don't believe you.
11:53I'm so sorry about that, um...
11:56Yeah, me too.
11:57Uh, let's see, what I can do is I can give you...
12:04Let's see, his direct number is...
12:08How many radiologists work for your company, ma'am?
12:12Um, I have, uh, 37.
12:16So you have 37.
12:18Uh, why don't you take this scan, call somebody right now and have them look at this scan and
12:21correct this issue for me.
12:23But, that is not how radiology works.
12:27We can...
12:28Yeah, you're not professional.
12:29We've already established that.
12:30You're not professional.
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