Private practice takes over Radiology Partners hospital contract
A private practice is taking over one Radiology Partners affiliate’s contract to provide professional services at a hospital in Connecticut, leaders said Friday.
Effective immediately, Midstate Radiology Associates LLC will deliver imaging reads at Windham Hospital, in Willimantic. This marks the fifth hospital and 22nd location served by the practice, which was founded in 1955 and employs a team of roughly 60 radiologists, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
"We are excited to expand our services to Windham Hospital and to bring our expertise and national accolades to the patients and healthcare providers in this community," President Gary Dee, MD, said in an Aug. 1 announcement.
Midstate Radiology Associates said the transition will be “seamless, ensuring continuity of care for all patients.” It will deliver the full range of radiology services including low-dose digital X-ray, 3T MRI, CT, ultrasound, 3D mammography and interventional procedures. The 130-bed acute care community hospital has been around for 75 years, with a 19-town service area in eastern Connecticut. Windham is part of the larger seven-hospital Hartford Healthcare.
The contract switch comes after Hartford-based Jefferson Radiology had reportedly faced challenges keeping up with demand late last year. Patients had reported weekslong delays waiting for their results from mammograms and other medical exams. Following complaints, Rad Partners and Jefferson had said the practice was undertaking initiatives to address wait times. Response measures have included hiring additional rads, increasing capacity, and conducting operational reviews to identify any bottlenecks.
Jefferson Radiology was founded in 1963, acquired by Mednax in 2017, and joined RP in 2020 as part of an $885 million acquisition. Radiology Business has reached out to Rad Partners for comment and will update this story when it hears back.
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.