Experience Stories

Legislative Report: Another Temporary SGR Fix Is in the Wings

Sponsored by Hitachi Healthcare Americas

The CMS Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) is again the center of attention for the medical community. The State Children’s Health Insurance Program bill passed in December 2007 averted the last SGR-mandated cut by funding a 0.5% update for six months. We are, however, once again at the precipice of unprecedented, and arguably untenable, physician

Growing Old Together

Sponsored by FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas

A lesson in business maturity: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer met the company's cofounder Bill Gates when they were both undergraduates at Harvard. Gates dropped out to build one of the most successful companies in history. Ballmer went on to graduate from Harvard and eventually ended up at Stanford, in the graduate school of business. By the time

My PET/CT Experience: Adding a New Modality to PACS

Sponsored by Hitachi Healthcare Americas

It was a Tuesday afternoon when I received the call. The new PET/CT scanner was installed, and acceptance testing was about to begin, but my medical physicist informed me that PACS was not listed as a destination. The installation team had not configured the scanner to communicate with PACS. Not too concerned, I asked to speak with the modality

Solved: A Consistent and Simple DR/CR Interface

Sponsored by FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas

Hospitals trying to send both CR and DR images to PACS, especially for the same patient, have encountered multiple problems in the past. CR and DR images acquired for the same diagnostic study, but through differing devices, might have been presented with a different look and feel because of the technologies with which they were acquired, delaying

Ten Trends, Five Years: Predictions for Outpatient Imaging

Sponsored by Hitachi Healthcare Americas

While long-term forecasts are always subject to error in a changing climate, today’s market trends can provide strong, reliable indications of what to expect in the future. For outpatient imaging over the coming five years, ten ongoing trends, in particular, can be predicted based on the changes being seen in imaging now.

Advanced Visualization: A Do-it-yourself Approach

Sponsored by FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas

With three-dimensional and other advanced visualization tools being used for a greater share of CT and other imaging studies, it is more important than ever for radiologists to have access to postprocessing software and equipment at the point of interpretation.

Stronger Financial Statements Earn Better Financing Options

Sponsored by Hitachi Healthcare Americas

Obtaining the most favorable financing depends on having the kinds of financial statements that lenders want to see. Before seeking funding for a de novo build, an upgrade to an existing imaging center, or new modality purchases, it is important to understand the commonly used types of financial statements, the kinds of financing typically

Taking Charge of FFDM Workflow

Sponsored by FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas

Radiographic mammography can be difficult to interpret, and radiologists who read mammograms rely on prior studies to guide them. Many women wisely comply with the recommendation to have this lifesaving study annually, so radiologists are often doing a difficult job within a tight timeline because they must review many mammograms, including the