Rhode Island Medical Imaging to hire 1st CEO in its 80-year history
Rhode Island Medical Imaging, a noted 80-year-old private practice, is seeking to hire its first chief executive officer.
The Warwick-based radiology group is adding the new title as it prepares for the retirement of Senior VP JoAnn D. Barbato, Providence Business News first reported on Sept. 23. With her departure, the soon-to-be-hired chief exec would take on the duties of SVP, the publication notes.
RIMI has always been governed by a board of directors, comprised of physicians and currently led by President Aaron W.P. Maxwell, MD. The practice also maintains an operational leadership role outside its board, traditionally held by a non-physician, Burr Tomlinson, director of business relations, told Radiology Business.
The new CEO will look to take over the previous SVP duties, ensuring a “smooth transition” once Barbato departs.
“RIMI is grateful for the many years of leadership and dedication that JoAnn has brought to the organization and we’re confident that she will play a pivotal role in transitioning to the future CEO,” Tomlinson said by email. “RIMI’s search for a chief executive officer marks an exciting next chapter in our long history of growth and service to our patients, reflecting our sustained commitment to clinical excellence, innovation and an exceptional patient experience.”
In a job post, Rhode Island Medical Imaging said it is offering between $210,00 to $250,000 salary for the position, seeking someone with 8 to 10 years of experience. The CEO is expected to serve as the senior leader of RIMI, a physician-owned and physician-led organization, and will be responsible for overseeing the organization's “core business operations and overall strategic, operational and financial performance.”
The new executive is expected to work collaboratively with physician leadership, the executive team and other business partners to advance RIMI’s strategic objectives. They will provide leadership across core business functions—principally the office-based medical practice—while also maintaining an organization-wide perspective on financial health, stability and long-term sustainability. The practice is ideally seeking someone with a master’s degree, prior CEO experience, knowledge of leadership in imaging, and excellent communication skills.
Founded in 1943, Rhode Island Medical Imaging operates a network of approximately 16 private diagnostic imaging facilities. It also performs procedures and interprets images for 10 Rhode Island hospitals and one more in Massachusetts. The group employs over 100 physicians and joined the Strategic Radiology coalition of private practices in 2024.
RIMI also announced the appointment of Dr. Maxwell as board president on Sept. 18. He brings extensive clinical expertise in both diagnostic and interventional radiology, along with proven leadership experience after serving as board VP. Separate from RIMI, Maxwell is vice chair of interventional radiology strategy and operations at Brown University Health, a role he will continue.
“Dr. Maxwell’s national recognition as an interventional radiologist, coupled with his contributions to RIMI as both a physician and vice president on our board, made him [the] top candidate to take over the role of president,” Albert A. Scappaticci, MD, RIMI secretary, said in a statement. “He has earned the respect of his clinical peers, our provider and industry partners, our staff and board, and we’re looking forward to seeing him lead RIMI well into the future.”
Maxwell replaces, John A. Pezzullo, MD, who has served as president of RIMI for the last 13 years.
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.