Who says that getting a MRI scan can’t be relaxing, almost spa like?  When walking into Glenoaks Imaging Professionals medical facility in Glendale, California one gets the feeling he or she will be treated well.  The smell of fragrant flowers and a hint of freshly brewed coffee fills the air. Patients are offered tea or coffee and sit in stylish chairs within the naturally-lit waiting room with floor-to-ceiling windows. 

All three co-owners, a husband and wife team and their long-time friend, met in college and had the dream of starting a business in the community they grew up in.  After college Ashley and Andre Shakhbandaryan and Rubik Khosrovyan worked for established companies and gained industry expertise.  But in 2010, they struck out on their own and assembled a team of trusted family and friends to staff their office. “Andre and I dreamed of having our own place ever since we met,” said Ashley. “Our biggest priority is to help our community with quality healthcare and educate them as well.  Every patient who walks through our doors is treated with the outmost respect regardless of what type of physical condition they are in and type of insurance they have."

Looking at the attentive pace of the facility, it’s hard to believe that the co-owners were turned down 19 times for a loan to help finance their start-up.  In August, 2011, through perseverance in making their dream a reality and from some help by the U.S. Small Business Administration and Pacific Mercantile Bank their doors opened to the public for the first time.  Since day one, Glenoaks Imaging Professionals has provided top-notch medical services such as MRI scans, bone-density test screening and ultrasound-based diagnostic medical imaging to its growing clientele.  These scans are now standard tools and commonly performed procedures because they allow doctors to see diseases that, in the past, could only be found with more invasive procedures.

Rubik said, “Our imaging center defers from other imaging centers in the area with our professional staff, knowledge about the radiology profession, image quality and most importantly the rapid turn-around time for our reports.”

Utilizing a $200,000 SBA 7(a) loan from Pacific Mercantile Bank, Andre, Ashley and Rubik were able to purchase a MRI scanner, which among other uses is a powerful tool for detecting, diagnosing and treating cancer, and is vital to their medical imaging business.  Suwanna Chan, senior vice president at Pacific Mercantile Bank was the lender who recognized Andre, Ashley and Rubik’s commitment to their dream.  She also recognized they were a solid start-up and investment opportunity for her bank and the SBA loan program.

The owners also wanted to make their facility a teaching facility to give back to the community.  The facility was recently accredited by California State University, Northridge and West Coast Ultrasound Institute to provide a learning environment and clinical instruction for student interns to gain on-the-job training with experienced technologists.  Ashley said, “We are a teaching facility; both Andre and Rubik are clinical instructors who care about their students and profession.”

Andre said, “I think what will separate us from our competitors and even most of the hospital based imaging centers is the type of studies that we will be performing. We will be specializing in all sports imaging, MRI vascular studies and spectroscopy."

For more information, visit www.glenoaksimaging.com.