To hear four radiologists who have immersed themselves in the minutiae of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act describe it, meaningful use—as it relates to radiologists—is an opportunity, a minefield, and a responsibility that could cost more than the $44,000 per radiologist that can be gained by

This article is the final installment in a four-part series on applying basic business concepts to radiology. To read the first installment, click here; to read the second, click here; to read the third, click here.

For the first five years of its existence, Tower Saint John’s Imaging, a full-service outpatient imaging center in Santa Monica, California, that is a joint venture between Saint John’s Health Center and Tower Imaging Medical Group, used its own RIS, PACS, and speech-recognition products separate from those of Saint John’s Health Center. The same

On November 30, the Physician Payment and Therapy Relief Act of 2010 was signed into law, delaying the 23% Medicare physician-payment cut mandated by the sustainable growth rate formula. The legislation replaced the cut with a 2.2% update through December 31, with the intention of giving Congress time to find a more permanent solution. On December

Recently altered CMS rules governing diagnostic-imaging supervision and interpretation agreements have created what one knowledgeable observer calls a horrible mess. Health-care attorney Tom Greeson, a partner in the law firm Reed Smith LLP of Falls Church, Virginia, expresses concern that regulatory changes that took effect earlier this year might

There is good news and bad news with breast cancer. While incidence rates have decreased by 2 percent per year between 1999 and 2006 and breast cancer death and diagnosis have largely declined because of improved screening and training techniques, current imaging methods have fallen short on detecting the disease effectively and early in certain patient populations.

While traditional closed MRI systems continue to offer a multitude of benefits, competition and a growing population of patients who cannot tolerate them make a closer look at alternative modalities warranted, according to Ronald F. Bernardi, FAHRA. He presented “Know Your Market to Grow Your Market” on August 24, 2010, at the annual meeting of

When Bill Lawrence became CEO of Central Michigan Community Hospital (CMCH) in Mt Pleasant, in 2008, he began examining options for improving the hospital’s radiology services. Declining volumes, long turnaround times, and lack of specialization were among the issues that had led to increasing dissatisfaction with the hospital’s radiology services.