What’s the “Inside Story”?
At The Inside Story Ultrasound, we truly consider it a privilege to share with you in the unique pre-labor event only 3D/4D imaging can bring. Our aim is to provide a safe, relaxed, and comfortable environment unlike any other medical office or ultrasound facility. We dedicate ourselves everyday to making certain all our families enjoy this miraculous experience and leave with life long memories.
We appreciate that you have options when choosing a 3D/4D ultrasound provider, and yes, there are distinct differences in the marketplace - so why choose us? First, it is important to know that not all 3D/4D ultrasound facilities are created equally. From franchises to independents, shopping mall storefronts to professional buildings, boutiques, spas, certified, non-certified - the choices are many and can be downright confusing.
To help put your mind at ease, below are some questions you should ask, and important facts you should consider before choosing an ultrasound center:
1. How long has the facility been open? In 2007 alone, there were six 3D/4D ultrasound facilities to open in the Greater Houston area – three of which have already closed their doors. Experience is one of the most important factors in ensuring the comfort of your procedure, the clarity of the pictures you receive, and in the confidence you can take in knowing that your provider will still be in business when you arrive for your appointment. Since our opening in the fall of 2005, we have had the fortunate occasion to share in the special 4D ultrasound experience with over 4,700 families. Approximately 36% of our new customers are referrals, and we’re seeing more and more of our Mommys on their second (and even third) pregnancy everyday! Our families travel from as far away as Lafayette and Waco… why? Because our familiarity and attention to detail has earned us the reputation as the Greater Houston area’s oldest and most respected 3D/4D ultrasound facility!
When you choose The Inside Story Ultrasound, you’re choosing the ultrasound facility physician’s choose - not only for their patients, but for themselves. We have welcomed General Practitioner Mommys, Neurologist Mommys, Cardiologist Mommys, and Obstetrician/Gynecologist Mommys into our growing family of customers; because of our high standards, we now have a network of over 450 referring OB/GYNs, many of which exclusively send their expectant parents to us.
2. What kind of environment do they offer? The 3D/4D experience should be a memorable one – one that is enjoyed by and shared with family and friends. It is important to us that we provide a warm and comfortable setting… after all, seeing your baby’s face for the first time is a pretty big deal! The facility should be safe and easy to access, not crammed in a busy mall or strip center; and your session should take place in a spacious private studio, not an adjunct to, or in a waiting area. Your guests should be able to relax in their own space and not have to fight for the best position. Many facilities offer a “theater style” studio, only to deliver a cramped space barely large enough for 3 or 4 with poor seating and angular views.
When you choose The Inside Story Ultrasound, your friends and family will enjoy what many of our guests have called a “tranquil” atmosphere with comfortable seating and 3 strategically-placed monitors for viewing baby at any angle. Our experience has shown that bigger isn’t always better. The larger the projection screen, the less defined the projected image; our 50” digital monitor provides deeper tones, sharper lines, and optimizes clarity. Our studio holds 9 adults, and we have also a designated a play area for the kids. This is a fun and exciting time for big brother and big sister – the realistic images of “their” baby help make the pregnancy more real to them.
3. Do they have a Return Policy? ? If you’ve never had a 3D/4D ultrasound, you might assume that every ultrasound produces “website-quality” images. While true in most cases, many factors influence the clarity of the pictures, including gestational age, Mommy’s tissue density, location of the placenta, amount of amniotic fluid, and baby’s position. Remember, baby is sleeping anywhere from 20-22 hours a day, so isn’t it unfair to be charged an additional fee if no pictures can be obtained? Many facilities don’t offer a return policy, hedging their inability to get good images on the first visit; therefore, it is vitally important to employ the services of an ultrasound facility that first has the acumen to obtain difficult images, and second, is willing to assume some of the risk in the event that they don’t.
When you choose The Inside Story Ultrasound, our number one goal is to satisfy you, and that includes first providing the best possible pictures and video of your baby. If we cannot get baby to cooperate, our commitment to you is we will bring you back at NO CHARGE to try again.
4. How qualified are the technicians? They say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, and we take it as a testament toward our penchant for quality, patient care, and professionalism that a number of our own customers (and even a few of our acquaintances) saw in our business model an opportunity to open their own 3D/4D ultrasound facilities. We live in a competitive marketplace, and iron sharpens iron… so welcome! However, to the consumer and the industry as a whole lies the risk in the “mass-manufacturing” of the diagnostic ultrasound facility. “Licensors” pop up in every state and sell medical device business opportunities like sandwich shops or cell phone kiosks. Little to no regard is given to state laws or FDA regulations as long as you can pay for a used ultrasound device and a few days of “training” at a handsome sum. Not all facilities are created equal. How experienced are the technicians? How long have they been working in the 3D/4D format? It is a little known fact that the techniques used as an operator in the 3D/4D mode are completely different than those of the 2D format. An operator may have years of experience in traditional 2D/Medical sonography, and be unable to give you the best 3D/4D experience. What is their success rate in obtaining quality images the first time? Are the images they display their own, stock images from the files of the parent licensor, or the images of their own child(ren) that were taken at our facility? Is the operator ARDMS Certified or RDMS-eligible, or did she/he get a franchise’s "certification"? Who reviews their files? Are they supervised by a licensed practitioner? Do they follow the ALARA principle as set forth by the AIUM?
When you choose The Inside Story Ultrasound, you are choosing to receive higher standards, better images, and enhanced practices. We are widely recognized for our commitment to quality and methods of service. To ensure our stature, we employ Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographers with Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialty, ARDMS-eligible technicians, and are uninterrupted members in good standing of the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers. All our sonographers have been through a rigorous training specifically designed for 3D/4D ultrasound, know the bioeffects considerations for diagnostic ultrasound, and adhere to all intensity peramaters. We are one of the few free-standing 3D/4D ultrasound facilities serving the Greater Houston area that invests in certified technicians, and that is why the OB/GYN community overwhelmingly recommends us - even though there may be diagnostic ultrasound centers in their immediate geographies, they still recommend that their patients make the drive to The Galleria/Greenway Plaza area for the true professionals. We take pride in pampering each and every family as you experience the miracle of 3D/4D ultrasound, detailing baby’s anatomy in a manner that you can easily interpret and understand.
5. Is there medical oversight? Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said it best: “Ultrasound equipment is an amazing technological tool that, in properly trained hands, can offer significant benefits for the health of unborn babies and their mothers, as well as giving us a window into the wonder and preciousness of human life… but like other medical equipment and devices, ultrasound machines are not toys and must be used only with physician oversight and approval.” There is no such thing as a “Certified 3D/4D Provider”. There is no recognized “Association” that offers accreditations to 3D/4D imaging providers, nor is there an AIUM-recognized “Certificate of Completion” obtained through any franchise training program. Seals look very official – but in truth, they aren’t worth the computers they were designed on. At The Inside Story Ultrasound, we have chosen to exceed all State of Texas medical regulations with regard to the hiring of our technicians and the securing of our Medical Director. Most of our competitors have no medical oversight – there is no licensed practitioner to oversee their risky practices; others that do have only done so under the recent threat of FDA “detention”.
At The Inside Story Ultrasound, each patient's scan is randomized, read, and reviewed for accuracy by our Medical Director, Rakhi Chaudhuri Dimino, M.D. Dr. Dimino is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, enjoying a successful group practice with Houston Women’s Care Associates in the Texas Medical Center and Pearland. Originally from Ohio, Dr. Dimino graduated with honors from Northwestern University with dual degrees in Biology and Journalism. She attended the prestigious Ohio State University College of Medicine, and completed her residency at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Dr. Dimimo moved to Houston with her husband in 2006, and recently welcomed the birth if their first child – a beautiful baby girl! Any idea how we know so much about her little angel? Right! We both saw her for the first time right here in our facility. Dr. Dimimo is not just a partner, she’s also a customer! Our commitment to care was one of the deciding factors that influenced Dr. Dimino to take over the reigns from our outgoing Medical Director, and we are so pleased to welcome such a gifted researcher and peer-reviewed author to our team.
Did you recently have your 3D/4D appointment rescheduled due to “equipment malfunction”? Was your co-worker's appointment rebooked because the provider was “remodeling”? Your girlfriend's Sonographer suddenly on "maternity leave"? The regrets have been varied recently, but the real reason is always the same. The Food and Drug Administration is more stringently enforcing medical oversight compliance, and are punishing violations of the Texas Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act through closure, equipment detention, and heavy fines. We've been humbled to service this growing population, and take great pride in never having edured a single hour of interrupted service during or after a Texas Department of State Health Services audit - we don't make excuses, we make exclusives! So why take a chance with your service? Don't take a chance with your baby’s safety!
These and other factors add to the growing number of Mommys that visit our office disappointed after visiting other 3D/4D facilities. While we appreciate the business, we are greatly saddened, because seeing your baby for the first time should be a memorable experience – one filled with wonderment and joy. It should be a time for families to see if baby's got Daddy's nose, or has Mommy’s lips, Paw-Paw’s ears, or maybe Nana’s cheeks… not a time to rethink the decision to have the procedure performed in the first place. When you choose The Inside Story Ultrasound, you can feel confident that we will do whatever it takes to ensure that your ultrasound is the most memorable experience of your pregnancy. We trust that you will find our packages affordable and the service unrivalled! So we guess it’s true, not all 3D/4D ultrasound providers are created equally - from website verbiage to package pricing, from patient forms and disclosures to business practices, we continue set the standards by which other local facilities continue to follow and copy… literally! If you are looking for the cheapest ultrasound package, we may not be the right choice for you; but if you are looking for the best experience, administered by caring and professional technicians, we promise you’ll find that and more at The Inside Story Ultrasound.
Congratulations, and we hope to see you soon!
Have any questions? Would you like to make an appointment? Click here!
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