Radiology Partners and RadNet CEOs named Los Angeles’ ‘most influential’ leaders
The Los Angeles Business Journal recently named the “most influential leaders and impactful executives” in its namesake city, recognizing CEOs at two of radiology’s biggest companies.
This is the 10th annual LA500 for the magazine and the second time it has chosen the top two execs at RadNet Inc. and Radiology Partners. There are over two dozen other healthcare figures honored, including CEOs with Keck Medicine of USC, UCLA Health, PIH Health, L.A. Care Health Plan and the SCAN Health Plan.
“Many of these individuals have stepped up to help L.A. recover from the devastating wildfires earlier this year, and all are pillars of the community,” the publication said June 2. “The Business Journal is pleased to highlight these leaders who have made a tremendous impact on their respective fields.”
Howard Berger, MD, co-founded Sawtelle-based RadNet in 1980, and it has grown into one of the largest radiology imaging companies in the nation, the journal reported. RadNet now has about 400 owned or operated outpatient centers across eight states, generating $1.8 billion last year.
“In recent months, RadNet has aggressively pushed to increase artificial intelligence-driven applications for its imaging technologies, including collaboration agreements with GE Health Systems and Siemens Healthineers,” the journal noted. “These moves prompted RadNet shares to more than double in value last year through November.”
Meanwhile, Rich Whitney, MBA, founded El Segundo-based Rad Partners in 2012 alongside veteran industry exec Anthony Gabriel, MD, MBA. In the dozen years since, RP has grown to become the nation’s largest radiology practice, serving 3,400 client sites across all 50 states. Last year, the practice also announced it had raised $720 million in new growth equity investments.
“Radiology Partners now is trying to fend off a high-profile lawsuit from Aetna, the health insurance arm of CVS Health Corp., that alleged Radiology Partners engaged in a billing padding scheme involving practices in Florida it had acquired or affiliated with,” the Los Angeles Business Journal reported. “Radiology Partners has filed to dismiss the lawsuit.”
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.