Management

This page includes content on healthcare management, including health system, hospital, department and clinic business management and administration. Areas of focus are on cardiology and radiology department business administration. Subcategories covered in this section include healthcare economics, reimbursement, leadership, mergers and acquisitions, policy and regulations, practice management, quality, staffing, and supply chain.

Squeezing Blood from a Turnip

There are several reasons to offer mammography in a freestanding imaging center, although profits are not usually one of them. Mammography brings decision-makers—women—to the center and many payors are beginning to demand a full range of imaging services from a site before letting it into their networks. And while many practices dismiss mammography

The Case for Emergency Responder Magnet Safety, Part I

You run a sound MRI operation with employees well trained in magnet safety, but have you ever thought about the scene following a fire alarm being pulled? Imagine several imposing, fully geared firefighters bursting through the door unabated, wielding axes, and completely unaware of the invisible danger generated by your MRI scanner. Why is this

The CRO: On Reimbursement Watch

Sometimes I joke with people who ask me what I do for a living. “I am a crow,” I reply. I recently joined the administrative team of Inland Imaging in Spokane, Washington, and fill a slightly different and (hopefully) value-added role for the company. While most Spokanites have heard of Inland Imaging and many industry insiders across the country

Financing Challenges for the Post-DRA Era

The pending implementation of the DRA reimbursements cuts has been looming over the diagnostic imaging industry for the past year. Although there has been hope for a fourth quarter moratorium on the implementation on these cuts, we encourage all those to be effected to manage their business planning under the assumption that the DRA cuts will be

The Old New Competitive Weapon

It was sometime during the spring of 1985 when I had the chance to meet in Boston with the person who coined the term CIO. Bill Sinnott was at the time was one of the only Chief Information Officers in the country and from his vantage point at the Bank of Boston he had written an intriguing book on the subject. I had the opportunity to interview

Be Mindful of the Stark Law in CCTA Alliances

Numerous radiology groups are currently discussing arrangements whereby cardiologists and the radiologists would essentially split the responsibilities for reading coronary CT angiography (CCTA) studies. Most commonly, as proposed, the cardiologists would read and generate a signed interpretation report, but limited to the cardiac portion of the

Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer

With the fierce competition we are confronting in imaging, this advice has never been more applicable. How well do you know your competition? In a previous column, I discussed the importance of efficient operations for survival. However, internal operational efficiency is only half the battle. Growing and maintaining a referral base is the other

Imaging’s Unsung Heroes

I have the best job in the world. In the past month alone, I visited 10 outpatient imaging facilities as part my ongoing relationships with clients all across the country. It is an incredible privilege for me to see so many differing operations throughout the year and to be involved with their leadership and development strategies. This month I