Managing a radiology practice to achieve increased effectiveness and improved productivity is essential not only for survival, but also to maintain positive cash flow in today’s healthcare environment.

An article published online first in the journal Health Affairs explores the strategies that institutional healthcare consumers—payors and purchasers—can use to fight price inflation in the face of provider consolidation.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - (May 19, 2014) - Zotec Partners (Zotec), an industry-leading provider of radiology billing and practice management services, announces an exclusive revenue cycle management (RCM) partnership with Radiology & Imaging Consultants, P.C. (RIC), a provider of radiology and imaging services in Colorado Springs, Colo. Under the new agreement, Zotec will support RIC with comprehensive RCM technology and services designed to minimize days in A/R, reduce compliance risk and increase collections.

While Meaningful Use is certainly dominating the headlines these days, perhaps it's “meaningful relationships” that should be the focus of independent radiology practices.

When Meadville Medical Center (MMC), Meadville, Pa., decided in 2013 to replace its legacy PACS, the 235-bed facility faced an issue common to community hospitals nationwide.

Stamford, Conn., May 12, 2014 (Booth #330-334)  – FUJIFILM Medical Systems U.S.A., Inc., will present its comprehensive Synapse portfolio for IT professionals at the 2014 annual meeting of the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) in Long Beach, California from May 15-17, 2014.  The Synapse family of products combined provides management of the complete patient record, ensuring diagnostic integrity while providing fast, secure access to clinical users via web platforms or mobile devices. 

Among the many different sessions presented at the Radiology Business Management Association Summit that was held last week in Charlotte, NC, an underlying theme was very apparent. The importance of building relationships was stressed time and again. From forging and maintaining relationships with fellow radiologists and radiology practices, to building relationships with hospitals, it was clear that productivity alone will not demonstrate value in the new healthcare environment. The way radiologists interact and relate to others is crucial when it comes to building a trusting, solid foundation for their practices. 

In a final rule intended to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden, CMS has abandoned the radiologist oversight requirement for radiologic services performed in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), report attorneys Paul Pitts, JD, and Thomas Greeson, JD, Reed Smith, Falls Church, VA. The new rule instead requires ASCs to appoint a qualified individual under state law who can assure that services performed as integral to surgical procedures are provided under the ASC Conditions of Coverage.