When Spectrum Medical Group, Portland, Maine, was formed in 1996—living up to its name by bringing together radiologists, pathologists, anesthesiologists, and radiation oncologists—the multispecialty group was already preparing for the difficult market conditions on the horizon: increases in managed care and capitated physician payments. David

As in any industry, the end result of imaging is a product, and Tariq Gill, MD, says that honing the quality of this product will be critical to radiology’s future. Gill is a radiologist and quality-assurance officer for Millennium Medical Imaging in Troy, New York. “In radiology, we don’t think of our activity as a product,” he observes. “We lack

What will the radiology group look like in five years, and how can today’s groups position themselves not only to survive, but to thrive? These are the key questions on the imaging industry’s mind as reimbursement rates continue to decline, regulatory changes create enhanced oversight, and the pressure to capture business mounts.

With the definition of meaningful use coming into greater focus, radiologists have seen their initial disappointment at not being invited to the party evolve into the realization that they must demonstrate meaningful use of health IT or risk penalties in 2015.

The revelation that 85% of radiologists are considered nonhospital-based physicians—and are considered, therefore, to be eligible for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funds—has sparked something of a gold-rush mentality in the imaging industry. Medicare-participating radiologists who are not hospital based (providing at least

To hear four radiologists who have immersed themselves in the minutiae of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act describe it, meaningful use—as it relates to radiologists—is an opportunity, a minefield, and a responsibility that could cost more than the $44,000 per radiologist that can be gained by

For the first five years of its existence, Tower Saint John’s Imaging, a full-service outpatient imaging center in Santa Monica, California, that is a joint venture between Saint John’s Health Center and Tower Imaging Medical Group, used its own RIS, PACS, and speech-recognition products separate from those of Saint John’s Health Center. The same

Maybe your PACS vendor is going out of business, or the system is so creaky that your vendor no longer offers support. Perhaps your hospital signed an exclusive purchasing agreement that requires a new PACS from a different vendor. Maybe your new department chair just prefers a different system. Any of these causes could conspire to put you in the