EMDR Therapy in Avondale, AZ

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AVONDALE, AZ — An Arizona inmate was getting ready for a routine MRI scan at a SimonMed Imaging Center in Avondale when prison records show a SimonMed technician made a troubling mistake causing the inmate and a prison guard to be stuck to the machine.

“She’s in a lot of pain. She has flashbacks of it,” the inmate’s sister Tawny Sonn said.

The incident happened in May of 2022 and the ABC15 Investigators have learned state regulators were unable to investigate or take enforcement action because this SimonMed location and others are not currently licensed or regulated by the state health department due to an exemption.

“I think that it's terrible. I don't even understand that,” Sonn said.

According to a Department of Correction incident report, a SimonMed technician told the prison guard not to remove the metal shackles around inmate Lacey Windust’s waist which caused her to be stuck to the machine.

It’s no secret MRI’s and metal don’t mix. The machine is essentially a giant magnet.

“As I walked closer to the machine about three to four feet away … the magnetic flew me off my feet up into the air and threw me into the machine, up in the circular hole,” Windust wrote in a letter she sent to her sister from prison describing the incident.

Windust said she was immediately in excruciating pain from the belly shackles, which were pulling her harder and harder, and described feeling like she was being ripped in half.

The prison guard wrote in his report that the SimonMed tech then asked him to go in and help Lacey and he was also “stuck to the MRI machine because of my gun.”

“We have two people trapped and injured because of failure to effectively screen or control access to this area,” said MRI safety expert Tobias Gilk, who is familiar with the records in this case.

The prison incident reports described several minutes going by before anyone hit the emergency shutoff button, despite pleas from Windust and the guard.

SimonMed’s own incident report obtained by ABC15 noted the employees were waiting for the lead engineer who had advised them to wait until he got on scene.

Windust was taken to the emergency room and the prison took photos of her injuries. The images showed a deep cut on her hand that required stitches, bruises, and imprints from where the metal shackles pulled on her body.

“I feel like SimonMed and also the prison needs to be held accountable for what happened,” said Sonn.

The Arizona Department of Corrections confirmed the incident happened but pointed the blame at SimonMed. “This secondary medical situation, and resulting injuries, were caused by errors made by the staff at the imaging lab,” the agency said in a statement.

“I would describe it as a pretty catastrophic failure,” said Gilk. “All these things suggest that best practices were not followed.”

Gilk explained MRI best practices include screening patients for metal before they ever step foot into an MRI room.

In this case, prison records showed after the guard removed Windust’s leg shackles. The guard said he asked the SimonMed tech if she also needed her metal belly shackles removed and the tech responded, “No they should be fine.”

“The problem is that there are so few regulations or standards with respect to what constitutes minimum appropriate training in an MRI provider,” said Gilk.

The Arizona Department of Health Services regulates and licenses imaging centers, but records show SimonMed, one of the largest imaging centers in the country, is getting to play by different regulatory rules in Arizona.

“From a regulatory standpoint, MRI safety is really the wild, wild west,” said Gilk.

SimonMed operates more than 60 imaging centers across the state, but a search for its license on the health department’s website found “no records.”

“So, I would ask who are they regulated by?” said Gilk.

The Arizona Department of Health said the SimonMed in Avondale where Windust was stuck to the MRI machine was not regulated by ADHS because of an exemption the state granted the company.

“Given that the facility in question was not under the regulatory authority of the Department at the time of the alleged incident, DHS does not have authority to investigate or take enforcement action,” ADHS said in a written statement.

ABC15 found other imaging centers are licensed by the state health department as outpatient treatment centers including nearly two dozen Banner Imaging locations.

The state health department’s communication team wouldn’t answer ABC15 questions about what makes SimonMed eligible for the exemption or tell us when it granted the exemption.

When ABC15 Investigators called, an employee at the licensing department told ABC15 SimonMed had a private provider exemption because it was physician-owned. ADHS’s website says private providers are only exempt from licensing if they are owned by a doctor or doctors who are treating patients at the clinic.

“I would encourage the state to contemplate where, when and how they want to allow providers to escape regulatory oversight,” said Gilk.

We asked AZDHS how one licensed physician could provide care at the more than 60 SimonMed locations across the state or how SimonMed, one of the largest imaging centers in the country could still be considered physician-owned. Especially after, American Securities, a private equity firm announced a major investment in the company two years ago.

ADHS responded by saying it is now in the process of reviewing SimonMed’s exemption.

“If a determination is made that any of the SimonMed locations do not meet license exemption criteria, DHS will work with the facilities to obtain appropriate licensure. At this time, we are not aware of how many facilities may be affected,” a spokesman said in a statement.

“I don’t want it to happen to somebody else. My sister is seriously traumatized from it,” said Sonn.

SimonMed didn’t answer many of ABC15’s specific questions citing HIPPA privacy concerns, but stressed it is committed to patient safety and is currently working with state regulators.

“We have always had, and continue to have, a constructive and cooperative relationship with the Arizona Department of Health Services, and we are actively working with that agency to determine the appropriate licensure status of our Arizona facilities,” SimonMed said in a statement.

SimonMed shared a complete statement with ABC15:

We appreciate you reaching out. First and foremost, we want to emphasize that at SimonMed Imaging, our primary focus is and always has been on providing exceptional healthcare services to our valued patients. With over 20 years of service in the communities of Arizona, we strive to uphold the highest standards of medical care through state-of-the-art technology and a dedicated team of experienced professionals.We prioritize patient well-being and safety above all else. We adhere to strict regulatory requirements and guidelines and strive to continually ensure that our employees are properly trained to handle all possible patient and care-related situations, As a healthcare provider committed to the highest standards of quality and patient safety, we understand the importance of transparency, responsibility, and accountability. Any incidents that occur are fully investigated and all such incidents are reported to the appropriate regulatory agencies and accrediting bodies, consistent with the obligations imposed under HIPAA and other state and federal laws and regulations.

SimonMed

Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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AVONDALE, AZ — Neighbors are rallying behind a West Valley man after a tree fell on his home near Central Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road following last week's storms.

"I don't know. This whole thing has been overwhelming to me,” said Jaime Palacios. "It's overwhelming me with gratitude that there are people who will actually put themselves out for others."

Palacios says he remains in shock after Thursday's monsoon storms and in awe watching his community of strangers stepping up to help him out.

"They've outdone themselves. They are miracle workers. I never would have thought it would have gotten this far, you know, in just a few days,” added Palacios.

An ABC15 viewer named ‘Ben’ shared a screenshot of a social media post made by Ramon Baron.

Baron asked his followers to help clean up Palacios’ yard since he said it was a project too big for the homeowner.

"There is this saying in Spanish that I heard one time that says, 'Es que no vino este mundo a servir, no sirve para nada,' which means, 'he who came to this world to not serve is useless,'” added Palacios. “So, we must serve other people. Otherwise, what are we doing here?”

Baron noticed a tree, he says, measuring 65 feet laying on top of Palacios’ Avondale-area home.

Baron has helped the homeowner since Sunday, cutting away at the tree with a chainsaw. A few others from as far as Goodyear moved chunks of wood from the home.

"I am not used to working outside. So, yes, it is hard work. He needs it. So, it is worth it,” said Saray Martinez.

In all, Baron says five to six people showed up to help and more than 600 people have commented on his post.

Aside from the work, Palacios says about a half-dozen people have done more work than is necessary to get him living more comfortably. To fix the inside of the house and roof, the helpers know some of the cleanup will need to be done by the professionals.

"I am hoping people are going to show up with roofing materials, shingles and stuff. You know,” added Baron.

Palacios is grateful for the help he's already received.

"It makes me feel good. It makes me feel good! It is a calming feeling with everything that I have gone through to know people have heart,” added Palacios.

You can ask to volunteer by clicking here to email Ramon Baron.

Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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On Your Side got involved, and we discovered the owner of the fake company has a troubled past.

AVONDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- When Jonathan Morales looks at his backyard, it’s not what he envisioned. “Yeah, there was going to be turf, pavers, and we were going to do a hot tub out there,” he told On Your Side of his barren backyard. “And planters along the wall for some nice plants.”

Instead, all he has are wheel barrel loads of sand and some PVC piping from the landscaping company he hired and paid more than $5,100. “We got a couple of estimates, and the company that we landed on was called Blue Dream Landscaping,” he said.

The company is owned and operated by Joseph Flores. Doorbell video showed Flores, seen in the gray shirt, introducing himself to Morales. “Does he seem like a competent person?” On Your Side’s Gary Harper asked. “Yeah, he bragged about how much work they have done around the Valley. And he had a lot of pictures and reviews of houses he has worked on,” Morales replied.

Flores is a fake contractor who doesn’t have a license. Still, that didn’t stop him from drawing up a contract promising “to provide honest work,” including installing pavers, a hot tub pad and a dog run. It was everything Morales wanted.

The cost was just over $10,000, and Flores demanded and received $5,185 from Morales to get started. That was nearly three months ago, and Flores has skipped with all that money. “There’s no way to get a hold of him. He’s deleted all of his social media profiles. His phone number has been disconnected. There’s no way to get a hold of him,” Morales explained.

On Your Side got involved, and we discovered Flores has a troubled past, including a conviction for trafficking stolen goods.

On Your Side has been contacted by a total of three victims who say they all gave Daniel Bustos money only for him to vanish.

So, where’s Flores and the $5,185? After several emails and text messages to the ex-convict, he never responded. So, we went to a relative’s El Mirage home, where Flores frequently stays, but the property was locked. On Your Side left a business card, but no one ever called back. We also went to another address connected to Flores. But we discovered the address was too old, and he had already moved on.

That leaves Morales out $5,185 and an unfinished backyard. This homeowner says he’s learned a valuable lesson when hiring people and wants other homeowners to steer clear of Flores and his company, Blue Dream Landscaping. “I think it’s definitely important for homeowners to know who you’re dealing with. Do your research and your due diligence so you don’t hire a fake contractor. And, you know, protect yourself,” he said.

If you have any work or repairs done on your home that are $1,000 or more, then the company you hire is required by law to be licensed with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. If not, they are operating illegally. To check out a contractor, it’s easy. Just go to https://roc.az.gov/.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.

A new mixed-use project with housing, an inpatient rehabilitation hospital and commercial is planned for a 45-acre infill property along Interstate 10.

The project, called The District at Crystal Springs, will be developed at the southwest corner of McDowell Road and Avondale Boulevard in Avondale, a growing suburb west of Phoenix.

Plans for the site call for up to 268 townhomes on about 23 acres, up to 216 units of multifamily for adults 55 years and older on 6 acres, commercial development such as retail or a hotel on 7 acres and a hospital on 8 acres within the city's designated health-technology corridor.

Crystal Springs will be developed by a group of developers including Chicago-based Fifield Cos., Austin-based Sparrow Partners and Birmingham, Alabama-based Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC). Stotz Farms Inc. is listed as the property owner in city documents.

Sparrow Partners has developed numerous projects across the Valley with plans to build more in communities such as Queen Creek.

Avondale City Council approved rezoning the property to a new planned area development for the project on June 26 after the planning commission recommended approval for the application. Additional details about the commercial components of the project are expected to be unveiled as the project progresses.

Avondale Mayor Kenneth Weise said at the June Council meeting that he would like to see more upscale restaurants brought to the city through the project.

"I would love to have some restaurants that we don't have in Avondale," he said. "I would just like that promise, that your clients ... are going to look seriously at bringing in purveyors who may not have a presence in the Southwest Valley."

The site is currently used for farming and was annexed into the city in 1999 and was previously part of the original Crystal Springs planned area development across 90 acres. It sits adjacent to the existing Crystal Springs apartments and the Sun Valley Academy charter school.

Just north of The District at Crystal Springs, Utah-based Overland Group Inc. is working on developing a nearly 1 million-square-foot project called Avondale Commons. The Avondale Commons will include new housing, a hotel, retail and office on about 23 acres near the Phoenix Children's Hospital and Friendship Park.

Like many West Valley cities, Avondale has been experiencing major growth. Recently, Ashley Furniture Industries Inc. progressed on its plans to develop a 1 million-square-foot distribution and manufacturing facility while California-based Prime Data Centers closed on a site in Avondale earlier this year to develop a new $2 billion campus.

Trick-or-treating with your little ones is always an interesting adventure. There are so many questions! What costume should they wear? Who will take them out to make the rounds? What spots are the best for getting the giant Snickers candy bars?

You don’t have to limit yourself to your specific block to have fun. There's a host of events throughout metro Phoenix where kids can trick-or-treat, trunk-or-treat, and show of their best spooky season looks.

From Glendale to Phoenix to Mesa, here's where your kids can bounce on inflatables, carve pumpkins, hear stories and gather all the candy their hearts desire.

Pumpkin patches, corn mazes:Hayrides, petting zoos and loads of family fun in Phoenix for Halloween 2023

Halloween 2023: Trick or treating in metro Phoenix

Spooktacular Fall Festival and Trick-or-Treat Event: The Glendale Adult Center will host trick-or-treating, giveaways and activities for the whole family. There will also be community resources, COVID and flu vaccines, booster seat information, pictures with superheroes and princesses, a firetruck, live music, dancing, and story time.

Details: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. Glendale Adult Center, 5970 W. Brown St. Free. 623-930-4321, visitphoenix.com.

Trunk or Treat 2023: The First United Methodist Church of Mesa is holding its annual Trunk or Treat Festival. They will have trick-or-treating, live music, a photo booth, inflatables, food trucks and trackless train rides.

Details: 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. First United Methodist Church of Mesa, 15 E. First Ave. Free. 480-969-5577, firstchurchofmesa.com.

Family Storytime and Costume Parade: Put on your costume and enjoy a Halloween story, parade and trick-or-treat at Sam Garcia Library in Avondale. The interactive story time will have songs, rhymes, flannel stories and fingerplays.

Details: 11 a.m.-noon Thursday, Oct. 26. Sam Garcia Western Avenue Library, 495 E. Western Ave., Avondale. Free. 623-333-2665, avondaleaz.gov.

Family Fun Halloween Bash at Arizona Boardwalk: The Arizona Boardwalk will host a costume contest with a $1,000 cash prize. There also will be trick-or-treating, bouncy houses, slides, face painting, live entertainment, family-friendly performances, shopping and raffles.

Details: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Arizona Boardwalk, 9500 E. Via de Ventura, on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community near Scottsdale. Free. 480-951-2100, azboardwalk.com.

Halloween Festival: There will be lots of excitement at Apache Junction's Halloween Festival. With trunk-or-treating, a costume contest, a pumpkin-carving contest, bounce houses, games and vendor booths, there’s a lot to keep your family busy. Looking to dress your furry friend up as well? Enter them in the Howl-o-ween Canine Costume Contest. Food and games will be available for a small fee.

Details: 4-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Superstition Shadows Park, 1091 W. Southern Ave., Apache Junction. Free. 480-982-8002, apachejunctionaz.gov.

Trunk-or-Treat & Halloween Family Fun: Dozens of car trunks will be decorated and filled with treats for kids to collect at Paradise Valley United Methodist Church. There will also be crafts, inflatables, a train ride and a haunted house. Food and drinks include hot dogs, chips, water and cotton candy. Admission is free; bring nonperishable food items for St. Mary’s Food Bank and other nonprofits around the Valley.

Details: 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Paradise Valley United Methodist Church, 4455 E. Lincoln Drive. Free. 602-840-8360, eventbrite.com.

Free Trick or Treat & Halloween Party: Success on the Spectrum – Mesa will host this social event that is open to those with autism as well as their family and friends. Food, games and holiday fun are on the agenda.

Details: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Success on the Spectrum – Mesa, 1303 S. Longmore Road, Suite #2, Mesa. Free. 480-712-5181, eventbrite.com.

Haunting on Main Street in Mesa: Downtown Mesa merchants will hand out individually wrapped treats to kids in costumes. There will also be kid-friendly activities, food and music near the north side of Macdonald. Many downtown businesses will have decorated window displays and you can vote for your favorite. The winner will be announced Nov. 1.

Details: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Downtown Mesa, 100 N. Center St. Free. 480-890-2613, downtownmesa.com.

Adults only:Best Halloween events in Phoenix for adults: Ghost tours, bar crawls, haunted houses

Trick-or-Treat at the Museum: Head to the Children's Museum of Phoenix for three days of Halloween fun. There will be a dance floor, an art studio where kids can create a Spooky Tree, a fashion fright show and three floors of exhibits. Costumes are encouraged, but no masks that cover your face or prop weapons.

Details: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28; Sunday, Oct. 29; and Tuesday, Oct. 31. Children’s Museum of Phoenix, 215 N. Seventh St. $17 for age 1 and older. 602-253-0501, childrensmuseumofphoenix.org.

Reach the reporter at dina.kaur@arizonarepublic.com. Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter.