One of the nation’s largest private imaging practices has rejoined Strategic Radiology, a growing coalition of independent doc groups in the specialty, the two announced Thursday.
Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Advanced Radiology Services employs a total of 214 physicians and balloons the larger group’s roster to more than 1,500. Advanced Radiology Services was one of the 13 founding members of Strategic Radiology in 2010 and was listed as a member as recently as 2017, according to a search of our archives. It is now the second largest member of SR, after 240-physician Radiology Associates of North Texas.
The announcement did not say why ARS previously left the group, and a Strategic Radiology spokeswoman could not provide further details late Wednesday.
“ARS is eager to join the other private groups that comprise SR in standing together nationally for independent private radiology practice,” President Ryan Duhn, MD, said in a statement. “We look forward to participating in SR’s quality improvement initiatives as well as contributing to coalition scale for group purchasing purposes.”
Physicians formed Advanced Radiology Services in 1997 through the merger of two independent practices servicing Butterworth and Blodgett Hospitals. The group has since grown through acquisitions, including the addition of Kalamazoo Radiology, founded in 1897 and one of the oldest practices in the country, according to ARS’ website.
The organization made our 2019 list (the final edition of our Exemplary 80) of the largest practices in the U.S. with 133 FTE rads at the time. Today, Advanced Radiology Services radiologists cover 30 hospitals, 10 healthcare systems, and perform 2.8 million studies annually, spanning most of Michigan.
“ARS is a strong, quality-focused group that provides a high level of service to its patients and health system partners,” said Scott Bundy, MD, CEO and chair of Strategic Radiology, which now has 30 member practices.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly labeled ARS as the largest member of Strategic Radiology.
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.