Pinnacle logo with a black text and a blue swoosh design.

Welcome to

Visit our locations in Liverpool & Latham.
Pinnacle Upright MRI locations keep patient well-being at the fore-front of our service.
A man sitting in a viewing pod watching a TV screen that shows a baseball player catching a fly ball.
Side-by-side MRI images of the lumbar spine showing an upright position on the left and a recumbent position on the right, with the upright image highlighted by a yellow circle.
Side-by-side images of an MRI machine's seat area, with a diagram showing airflow exiting the machine on the left, and a woman seated inside the MRI on the right.
Woman sitting inside an MRI machine while a technician stands nearby operating controls in a medical facility.

About Pinnacle Upright MRI

At Pinnacle Upright MRI, we understand that getting an MRI can feel stressful or uncomfortable for some patients. Our goal is to make the process as simple, comfortable, and reassuring as possible from the moment you walk through our doors.

Our upright, open MRI is designed with patient comfort in mind. Instead of being fully enclosed in a traditional MRI machine, patients are scanned in a more open setting, seated upright with nothing in front of them or above them. This can be especially helpful for patients who experience claustrophobia, have difficulty lying flat, or simply prefer a more comfortable imaging experience.

During your visit, our team will guide you through each step of the process and make sure you know what to expect. Patients can relax in a comfortable environment and may have the option to watch TV or listen to music during the exam.

Once your scan is complete, your images are reviewed and interpreted by board-certified radiologists. Results are then made available to your referring physician so they can review your exam and determine the next steps in your care.

At Pinnacle Upright MRI, we are proud to provide high-quality imaging with a more patient-friendly experience.

Exterior of Pinnacle UPRIGHT MRI clinic with a brick facade, glass entrance, and blue signage

Frequently Asked Questions

  • At Pinnacle Upright MRI, we perform MRIs w/o contrast and MRIs with & w/o contrast of most body parts. These include, but are not limited to:

    • Cervical, lumbar, and thoracic spine

      • (Cervical and lumbar may also include flexion and extension)

    • Brain, orbits, IACs, TMJ, pituitary, sinuses, and soft tissue neck

    • Shoulders, knees, hips, pelvis, abdomen, ankles, elbows, feet, hands, arms, legs, and wrists

    • MRAs and MRVs of the head and neck

    We cannot perform breast, heart, or chest MRIs. We cannot perform scans only with contrast unless the patient has had a scan of the same body part without contrast within six weeks. MRAs and MRVs must be performed without contrast. Cervical and lumbar spine MRIs with flexion and extension studies must also be performed without contrast.

    Our Liverpool office also offers digital motion x-rays (DMX). Learn more about DMXs by clicking the Procedures section and selecting the Digital Motion X-Ray tab.

  • You will need a signed doctor’s referral faxed to the appropriate Pinnacle location in order to be scheduled. Once your referral is received by our front office staff, you will be called for scheduling.

    (Please note that MRIs ordered with & w/o contrast will take longer to be scheduled because they are performed only one day per week. You may not be called by our staff for a number of weeks as a result, and so we encourage you to call us to confirm that your order has been received in the meantime.)

  • We accept most major insurances. These include, but are not limited to: Excellus BCBS, Medicare, Medicaid, Fidelis, United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna, MVP. Your referring provider’s office will need to obtain an authorization if an authorization is required for your scan.

    We also accept patients with no-fault auto insurance and patients with worker’s compensation. Patients with worker’s compensation will need to be approved through a third-party like One Call or Jag Source.

    Self-payment is accepted, as well, in the event of a denial of coverage from your insurance (or for patients from Canada).

  • You can reach us anytime via our Contact Us page or through email (pinnacleuprightmri.maribeth@gmail.com).

    During business hours, you may also call the Liverpool office at (315) 303-0088, or the Latham office at (518) 220-2080.

  • Yes, we are an open MRI. An Upright MRI Machine is a specific type of open MRI that provides an even less restricted experience than a regular open MRI. For your scans at Pinnacle Upright MRI, there is nothing in front of you or above you. This makes us one of the best options for claustrophobic patients, or patients that have trouble laying flat.

  • Since our MRI machine has a magnetic strength of 0.6 Tesla, we cannot scan patients with pacemakers, loop recorders, neurostimulators, aneurysm clips, or most other electronic implants.

    We are able to scan patients with dental implants, orthopedic implants (i.e. shoulder, knee, or hip replacements), hernia mesh, biopsy clips, spinal fusions, disc replacements, cardiac stents, and some vascular stents.

    If you have further questions about the MRI safety of your implant, please call the Pinnacle office you intend to be scheduled at and our technician can help to verify whether or not it is compatible with our machine.

  • As long as children are able to sit still during their imaging, our Liverpool office is able to scan them.

  • We can scan patients with oxygen tanks. They will need to make sure to bring a 20-foot extended oxygen tube in order for the tank to sit outside of the machine room.

  • Our weight limit is 500 pounds. However, since our machine does have an 18-inch seat from pole to pole, certain patients just below the weight limit may also have trouble fitting.

  • Yes, neurosurgeons specializing in CCI prefer Upright MRIs with Flexion/Extension. These allow the imaging to capture the neck in different positions, revealing if the vertebrae shift and press against the spinal cord or brainstem when the head moves. Standard, laying-down MRIs can often miss it.