Under the Radar

Staff Writer | | Radiology Business | Business Intelligence
As a growing percentage of outpatient imaging shifts to the freestanding and office-based settings, so goes the number of outpatient imaging centers: the Verispan report identified 5,750 in 2005, up 5.7% from the year before. However, the same report noted a slight decrease in the average number of imaging procedures performed per center suggesting that the competitive arena is tightening. Aside from adequate capitalization, the single-most important ingredient for imaging center success is access to payor panels, according to one of the entrepreneurs interviewed in The Imaging Center Entrepreneurs.
“The days of opening a center and knocking on the payor’s door to announce that you’ve arrived and are ready to do business are over,” says Kyle. “In fact, in some markets where there’s an oversaturation of providers, payors have closed their panels to newcomers. You need to understand before you break ground on your proposed center whether these panels are accessible.” — Frank Kyle, president and CEOOutpatient Imaging Affiliates LLC, Nashville, TN

Staff Writer

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