No matter which alternative imaging-delivery model they opt to follow, radiology practices and hospitals must ensure the interoperability of the systems used to share data internally, as well as with provider partners and payors. The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, a high-volume teaching hospital, has progressed quite far

Savvy imaging providers across the spectrum of care have begun to formulate strategies for attracting potential partners with which to ally in alternative care-delivery models. While using analytics to demonstrate the value that one’s organization can bring to the table is key, promoting the interoperability of the systems used to generate and

A desire among practitioners to weather the storm of health care reform (continuing to grow) has recently created a wide berth for alternative health care delivery models and alternate payment mechanisms and models. These include accountable care organizations (ACOs; alternative hospital-centric, integrated delivery models, integrated physician

Recent media coverage of accountable-care organizations (ACOs) has included considerable speculation, both about how ACOs will evolve and about the manner in which health-care providers should proceed, in light of such evolution. Douglas G. Smith, FRMBA, is senior vice president of strategic initiatives at Integrated Medical Partners (IMP), a

Pressing issues, among them the ever-shrinking Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and the threat of further imaging cuts wrought by the debt-ceiling agreement signed on August 2, might be looming larger than accountable-care organizations (ACOs) on radiology providers’ radar screens.

The merger/acquisition market is heating up in radiology. Over the past few months, several mergers of large practices have created even larger ones, and other groups are likely to be considering similar moves. While entering into a merger agreement has its benefits, though, not all potential partners are entirely suited for each other. Moreover,

It has long been said that information is power, and if that is the case, actionable information is even more powerful. For members of independent physician networks, such data are the linchpin in achieving alignment with hospitals, leveraging relationships, attaining preferred status with payors, and more.

Full charge-capture has become a must for today’s radiology practices. In addition to affording the obvious advantages of improved cash flow and lost-income recovery, full charge-capture offers providers access to a more complete—and therefore, more accurate—complement of data for use in negotiating with hospitals and payors, assessing physician