Police and news reports contrast tight-lipped corporate communication in Episode 4 of "The Invisible Force" podcast on the AuntMinnie Podcast Network.
It has been established that at the conclusion of or somewhere during the commission of an MRI, Keith McAllister entered the scanner room of an MRI trailer in Westbury, NY, to help his wife, who was there for an exam. McAllister stepped near the magnet, close enough that the magnet's force engaged with a heavy metal chain he wore around his neck.
Extraordinary steps were taken to save McAllister, who died soon after being freed from the magnet ("The Invisible Force," Episode 3).
Narratives vary as to the circumstances surrounding this high-profile MRI safety incident, according to hosts Tobias "Toby" Gilk, a certified MR safety officer and safety expert, MR facility architect, and safety consultant, and John Posh, senior MRI technologist and educator, MRI safety auditor, and longtime advocate for MRI safety practices.
Police accounts
Of interest is a particular reference noted in police accounts, Gilk explains in Episode 4.
"This episode focuses on the information that was immediately available to the public about the accident and the results that dramatically raised the stakes for all the involved parties," Gilk said. The first piece of public information about the accident was a report released by the Nassau County Police Department on its website, according to Posh.
One word was key, and it might influence a jury, according to Gilk. Posh added, "It might be some spin on the part of the imaging center ... ."
A second point of interest is Gilk's reflection on the lasting impact of another high-profile MRI safety event at another New York City-area facility, Westchester Medical Center. In this 2001 incident, a young boy (Michael Colombini) died after the wrong type of oxygen tank was brought into the MRI room where the child was positioned for a scan.
The four-zone model
Following the Colombini accident, the American College of Radiology (ACR) published a landmark MRI safety document, the "White Paper on MR Safety," Posh noted. One of the most iconic takeaways from that white paper and its updates since has been the four-zone model.
"If you've seen the 1-minute security camera footage of the incident, it clearly shows Mr. McAllister walking from the MRI control room, Zone 3, into the MRI scan room," Posh explained. "If the site was following the ACR four-zone model, the only way Mr. McAllister should have been able to get there would be if he had previously been screened -- verbally, visually, and physically. And if he'd been kept outside of the control room area, then he should have been on the other side of a locked door so that he could not let himself into Zone 4."
MRI technologists and other imaging center personnel should already be familiar with the four-zone model. Episode 4 conversation will raise awareness about the crucial sequential zones of screening and access control, as well as posit how the July 2025 accident happened. Listen for two possible conclusions.
Also learn how communications and half-truths fed misconceptions, mischaracterizations, and misinterpretations following the horrific situation on July 16, 2025.
"The story was so extraordinary that the mistakes just seemed to feed one another as the coverage spread and spread and spread," Gilk noted. "The results were that these mischaracterizations had all sorts of people citing horribly inaccurate information," Posh said. "The information confirmed so many people's fears."
Effective communication
Effective communication is often hampered in these incidents, Posh added.
This accident occurred late on a Wednesday afternoon. Gilk said he contacted the corporate offices of Nassau Open MRI on Thursday morning. He explains his experience in Episode 4.
In addition, Gilk and Posh primed listeners for questions about communications in the context of facility licensure, accreditor inspections, the role of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in MRI safety incidents, and the New York State Department of Health (NYDOH) in this situation.
"MRIs are federally regulated devices and states have specific obligations to make sure federal standards are being met," Gilk noted.
Listen now to Episode 4, the conclusion of Act 1 of "The Invisible Force" podcast. Then stay tuned for "the aftermath" -- lawyers, lawsuits, and investigations -- starting in Episode 5, Gilk said.
Miss Episode 3? Catch up now.
Editor's note: The imaging community and other listeners have been invited to contribute to the investigation through The Invisible Force Tip Line -- 631-MRI-TIPS (631-674-8477).
Host
Tobias "Toby" Gilk is the founder of Gilk Radiology Consulting. An architect by training, he has spent over 20 years focusing on MRI safety, initially through the architecture and planning of MRI facilities, but growing into the technology, clinical practice, regulation, and economics of MRI safety. Gilk holds both MR Safety Officer (MRSO) and MR Safety Expert (MRSE) certifications from the American Board of Magnetic Resonance Safety (ABMRS). An evaluator of serious reportable events (SRE), he is also a volunteer member of the Technical Expert Panel (TEP) of the National Quality Forum, and co-author of "The Technologist MRI Safety Handbook."
Co-host
John Posh is an MRI educator, safety consultant, and safety auditor with over 35 years of experience in the field of MRI safety and education, working with outpatient facilities, hospitals, and universities. He owns Posh Education in Bethlehem, PA, and currently serves as global director of education and training for Aspect Imaging, chief academic officer-MRI at John Patrick University, and adjunct professor of medical imaging at Rush University.
This episode of "The Invisible Force" is brought to you by AuntMinnie and the AuntMinnie Podcast Network. You can also find it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Check out AuntMinnie's full podcast library, including extras, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
