US Radiology Specialists continues December deal streak, adding 5 more locations

US Radiology Specialists continued its December deal streak on Thursday, acquiring one of Alabama’s largest outpatient imaging providers.

Based in Birmingham and around since 1996, ImageSouth operates five locations in the state. The move comes after USRS just made its first foray into New York earlier this month and balloons its roster to 145 locations across 14 states.

“This partnership strengthens our national outpatient imaging portfolio and fits within our strategy to partner with high-quality radiology groups, top hospital systems, and the best outpatient imaging providers across the nation,” CEO John Perkins said in a Dec. 10 statement. “ImageSouth is a leader in diagnostic imaging in Alabama and has developed an excellent reputation among patients and referring physicians for delivering high-quality outpatient imaging services.”

All told, USRS now runs seven centers in the Cotton State, including two previously established locations, all now operating under the American Health Imaging banner. A recent analysis from Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings noted that USRS has taken on loans to finance three unnamed, “near-term acquisitions.” A spokesman confirmed that the practice’s New York and Alabama partnerships represented the first two deals S&P referenced. However, he could not yet comment on the third, “due to confidentially agreements.”

Raleigh, North Carolina-based US Radiology Specialists said earlier this month that it’s eyeing double-digit growth in 2021, with plans to add more than 1,000 positions.

Marty Stempniak

Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic. 

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