OnCall Imaging opens to patients Oct. 30 in Rock Falls

ROCK FALLS — A retail medical imaging center is set to open at the end of this month in Rock Falls.

OnCall Imaging will offer advanced noninvasive imaging, including X-rays, MRI, CT scans, ultrasounds, DEXA scans for bone density and mammography, said Jennifer Junis, OSF OnCall Digital Health senior vice president. Patients can schedule appointments, get same-day access or choose to seek a walk-in appointment.

“We know there’s a huge need for that [ease of access and pricing transparency] in imaging, because a lot of imaging is done at hospitals, which really is not as conducive to caring for patients in a convenient manner,” Junis said.

OnCall Imaging is scheduled to open to patients Oct. 30. It is about 1 mile off of Interstate 88 at 1609 First Ave., Rock Falls.

“It’s a great, easy ingress and egress from the region to the imaging center,” said Pete Harkness, an investor in Imaging Centers of Illinois LLC. “It meets the need for quality, affordable imaging services in the area, and it’s centrally located.”

The center is the result of a partnership between OSF HealthCare of Peoria and Imaging Centers of Illinois of Sterling. Junis represents OSF HealthCare on the OnCall Imaging board of directors.

“We want to create that access so that people can stay in the community and receive those images and those exams locally,” Junis said, noting that kind of convenience is a big aspect of retail health care.

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OnCall Imaging, located at 1609 First Ave., Rock Falls, is a collaboration between OSF OnCall Digital Health and Imaging Centers of Illinois that will offer low-cost, non-invasive imaging services. It is set to open to patients on Oct. 30. (Photo provided by Pete Harkness)

Patients often wait weeks or months to get in to having imaging done at hospitals, and sometimes must travel long distances to attend their appointments, she said. Upon arrival, they likely have to park at a distance, whether that be in a parking garage, a sizable parking lot or something else, and then maneuver through the interior of a large facility, Junis said.

“We know that consumers today really want to receive care when, where and how they want to,” she said. “[This facility] is an opportunity to really think about designing that in a different way to meet our communities and consumers’ needs.

“Just like the way we buy our groceries has changed or the way we book airline tickets or the way we buy movie tickets, some of that is different today than it was in the past, and health care is kind of lagging behind on a lot of those things.”

The interior of the Rock Falls center is more reminiscent of a spa than a hospital, Harkness said. “It’s very soothing. It’s very comforting. Again, take care of the patient’s wants.”

Harkness said all the feedback he has heard from the region regarding OnCall Imaging is “very positive and very welcoming.”

OnCall Imaging will accept Medicaid, Medicare and most commercial insurances, Junis said. Those without insurance can apply for financial assistance.

“In health care, we haven’t always been good about saying how much things cost; you don’t find out until after the fact,” Junis said. “So really being upfront with the cost [is important] so that people can make good choices for where they’re at in their life and how much they want to spend on medical care, [just] like they choose how much they want to spend on other retail services.”

Information, including the base costs of available procedures, can be found at www.oncallimaging.net.