Patients at Radiology Partners affiliate facing long delays due to ‘unprecedented demand’
Patients seeking imaging at a Radiology Partners practice affiliate are reportedly facing long delays due to “unprecedented demand.”
NBC Connecticut reported news of the problem Wednesday, quoting local healthcare consumer Barbara Barry. She visited Hartford-based Jefferson Radiology in October for routine testing.
“It took three weeks for the results, so that’s what made me a little bit concerned,” Barry told the news outlet.
She returned last month for an “urgent” imaging exam and didn’t hear back for another nine days. Barry said the delay left her anxious, expecting bad news following the wait. However, the results came back negative.
Jefferson Radiology shared a statement with Radiology Business in response to the news story.
“Due to unprecedented demand, patient exam results are delayed,” the practice said Wednesday. “Our dedicated team is working diligently to minimize wait times and ensure patients receive the best possible care. We understand how challenging this can be and are actively hiring, improving processes, and prioritizing urgent cases to reduce wait times. If patients need results sooner, patients should speak with their referring provider about alternative care options.”
Founded in 1963, Jefferson Radiology is one of Connecticut’s largest imaging groups, employing nearly 80 physicians working across 10 locations, according to its website. Mednax acquired the practice in September 2017 before selling its radiology business line to Rad Partners for $885 million in December 2020. Jefferson is currently seeking to fill 29 positions, according to the RP website, including day and nighttime radiologist roles and several technologist openings. RP, meanwhile, was founded in 2012 and employs 3,900 radiologists servicing over 3,400 hospitals. At last count, physicians owned 33% of the El Segundo, California, company, with private equity firm Whistler Capital, venture capital group New Enterprise Associates and the Australian sovereign wealth Future Fund holding the balance
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.