Robin Angelo, the Director of Operations at Coosa Valley MRI, in Sylacauga, AL, is a big proponent of an integrative approach to diagnostic radiology. “We’ve been intentional with our approach to elevate our patient experience because we know today’s healthcare consumer needs and wants something different,” she says. “We’ve taken an element of art and nature and combined it with the latest technology to ensure our patients see and feel the difference.
“In 2010, our company was created by strong leaders and visionary thinking. We believed that the quality of people’s lives mattered and that we could provide one aspect of healthcare that would allow them to live better longer,” says Angelo.
“Every day people are faced with life-altering injuries, debilitating diseases, and fears of the unknown. We considered it a privilege to have an opportunity to offer the highest standard of magnetic resonance imaging possible, so that an accurate diagnosis and a clear path to treatment could be given, and quality of life restored. Thirteen years and 68,187 scans later, this still rings true,” she says.
“The year 2023 was a big year for us. We knew patients and physicians deserved more. This gave birth to a new vision that very quickly became palpable…a new MRI experience. With one in twelve diagnostic imaging facilities in the country to unleash the power of the Philips MR 5300 scanner, we turned images into answers faster and elevated image quality,” Angelo says.
Coosa Valley MRI transformed the look and feel of their scanning suite when they installed a Revelation SkyCeiling, an evidence-based design virtual skylight that comforts their claustrophobic patients. And with their spa-like environment, patients travel the world through an 82” 8K monitor that brings adventure and an additional element of calm to their visit.
“We wanted to make patients feel like they were not in a medical facility. We’re hearing things like ‘I feel safe. I feel calm. I used to have to take antianxiety medication and now I don’t have to take it,’” says Robin.
That feeling of comfort can do wonders for a patient about to begin their appointment. Anytime a clinical setting has a welcoming atmosphere that works to reduce anxiety or distress over the procedure, it helps radiology technologists and supporting staff to keep the schedule on track and complete clear scans.
Robin and her team are passionate about contributing to the abundance of hope and compassion world-wide and believe they can do it right there in the small town of Sylacauga, Alabama. Glancing into the future, Angelo says, “There are many stories to open ahead and thousands of patients to care for, and we welcome them all to this new MRI experience.”
The Coosa Valley MRI suite features an 8’x8’ (2.4m x 2.4m) Revelation SkyCeiling above the diagnostic equipment’s patient bed. This illusory sky features 20+ structural and contextual cues, including compositional elements, proper scale, gravitationally-correct POV (point-of-view perpendicular to the floor), and daylight-quality calibrated light. Together, these bi-sensory cues (visual and spatial) seduce our hard-wired habits of perception into a visceral experience of vertical volume.
Sky Factory’s biophilic illusions of natureTM have earned top architectural product awards from leading editorial boards and juries, most recently by Architectural Products (PIA’23) and Healthcare Design (Nightingale Awards, 2023) magazines.
