August 2020

How the radiology community can counter COVID-19’s outsized impact on female physicians
Mednax affiliate Synergy Radiology inks deal to expand breast imaging at Houston hospital giant
Imaging providers shift from CT to ultrasound-dominant approach for pediatric appendicitis cases
Artificial intelligence bests radiologists at spotting breast cancer: ‘The time has come’
Philips to acquire interventional device firm Intact Vascular for more than $275M
Pennsylvania radiologist, hospital must pay $10.8M over allergic reaction to gadolinium, jury rules
Guidelines produce sizable drop in PICC line use, with radiologists leading the way
Medicare Advantage plans failing to collect info on imaging referrers, opening door for fraud
CMS needs another year to work on anticipated changes to the physician self-referral rule
Automated and structured reporting for thyroid ultrasound drops errors down to zero
Hologic to acquire Texas imaging-guided fibroid removal firm for $80M cash
Mednax continues its C-suite shake-up with chief financial officer’s ouster
Smart shopping: Chicago orthopedic practice knows the value of a good service contract when investing in imaging equipment
State watch: Gun charges stop radiologist’s practice in one state, but not the next over
Protective barriers thought to be safe may place providers in greater danger, FDA warns
Less than half of radiologists review images ahead of multidisciplinary tumor board meetings
Teleradiology helps Portland medical group survive COVID-19 and push forward into the future
6 things every radiologist should consider before signing with a new practice
Arlene Sussman, MD, on COVID’s silver lining: Greater acceptance of telemammography
Death of healthcare worker with mysterious altered mental status highlights imaging’s COVID-19 role
ABR taps experts for online testing help; SimonMed’s AI deal, plus more radiology vendors news
Skyrocketing use of emergency brain imaging is out of step with overall ED trends
New liability concerns emerge for radiologists who have used patient images in presentations
Emergency abdominal CT scans decrease markedly during the pandemic, while prognoses worsen
Radiology firm Alliance Healthcare Services could fetch upward of $400M in potential sale
Insurer wants radiology practice’s class-action suit tossed: ‘COVID-19 damages lungs, not property’
LucidHealth selected as Iowa hospital system’s new radiology services provider after bidding process
Physicians are using medical imaging as a defense against malpractice claims, study finds
Due date arrives for Medicare cash advances as docs plead for extension: ‘Many practices will fail’
Radiologists make significantly more mistakes on the night shift than they do during the day
Half-century-old, 46-physician imaging practice in North Carolina joins Strategic Radiology
Crisis clobbers affiliated imaging centers, with recovery coming slower than main hospital campus
‘We’re terrified’: Report claims undercounting of healthcare worker deaths, noting rad tech’s recent passing
Diagnostic imaging serves no purpose in assessing breast pain, internal medicine docs stress
Imaging call hub bolsters bonds between radiologists, community PCPs, scoring 98% ED avoidance rate
Artificial intelligence for gadolinium reduction; Varex Imaging’s sales slump, plus more radiology vendor news
Deep dive finds more for radiologists to dislike in 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
Radiologist urges peers to carefully monitor ‘digital footprint,’ sleep on it before posting
New Jersey imaging provider sues Cigna over $400,000 in denied COVID-related claims
Deploying sonographer as quality-control watchdog helps Mayo Clinic drop ultrasound errors by 60%
Radiology provider Akumin says layoffs, pay cuts helped buoy $13.7M second quarter
How one radiology department ‘recovered wisely’ to bounce imaging numbers back near pre-COVID levels
American College of Radiology urges physicians to ‘mask up,’ fight COVID-19 misinformation
Mobile imaging provider must pay up after overcharging Medicare for transportation, DOJ says
CMS pushes imaging appropriate use criteria go-live date back a year due to pandemic
Ride-sharing pilot program significantly improves on-time arrivals for MR imaging appointments
Quash ‘reckless’ Medicare cuts that could cost radiology billions, lawmakers urge Congress
County could cut $116M in spending on imaging, other services by steering patients toward cheaper options
Radiology Partners continues to grow, adding two new states to its footprint, despite economic slump
RadNet bracing for $11M drop in 2021 revenue following Medicare reimbursement update
Siemens buying Varian for $16B; lawmakers slam Philips contract, plus more radiology vendor news
World Health Organization urges against using chest imaging to diagnose COVID-19