“As radiology strives to lessen staff call burden, generalist triage can sustain clinical service levels and reduce at-home call burnout,” experts wrote in JACR. 

That’s because the nation’s largest trade group for medical doctors is conducting a practice survey that could have big implications for physician payment.

The ratings agency dropped Akumin from "CCC" to "D," the lowest mark on S&P’s scale, typically used after a company files such a petition. 

The nearly half-billion-dollar loan balance will convert to shares of common stock, held by lender Stonepeak, with Akumin transitioning to a privately held company. 

Payers most frequently require PA for imaging (71%), followed by IV chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy, according to new survey data. 

The pause will last until Akumin can restore its systems in a “safe and secure manner,” leaving the company unable to see patients at its fixed-site locations. 

“It’s eye-opening, but not surprising,” one healthcare staffing expert said about the hospital system's unusual employment offer.

Chair Lina M. Khan spoke about the topic during the closing keynote at the American College of Emergency Physicians’ annual meeting in Philadelphia.