The Industrial-strength Imaging Executive

by Curtis Kauffman-Pickelle

Today’s medical-imaging profession is definitely not for the fragile and weak-kneed among our colleagues. It is becoming increasingly clear that navigating the constant changes and challenges that face the practice of radiology today will be the ultimate test of tenacity, perseverance, and creativity. We’re in the playoffs now, and the game is moving to the big-time arena—where the margin for error is nil.

Finger in the Wind

by Cheryl Proval

Physicians are in a real bind as fee-for-service reimbursement falls under attack and alternative payment methods (such as bundling and capitation) gain traction in Washington, DC. As of June 18, Medicare Part B claims were being processed with the 21.3% cut mandated by the sustainable growth rate’s formula, and House Democrats demanded legislation on jobs before they would pass the Senate bill to reverse the cut.

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Save the Date:

July 20, 2010 11am EST

Topic

Keep Your Hospital Relationships Healthy: Strategies for Every Practice

Presenters:

Randy Roat, CHBME, VP of Radiology, MMP, and George Ehrhardt, CPA, Director, Practice Management, MMP

Medical Management Professionals, Inc.

Topic

RIS to the Rescue | Strategies for Driving Revenue, Productivity and Profitability

Sectra

Topic

Advanced Visualization | Next-generation Architectures

Visage Imaging

July 29, 2010

Strategic Radiology Snags Kleinschmidt for CEO Spot

Mega-group Strategic Radiology has hired Mark J. Kleinschmidt as CEO of the consortium of 15 practices representing more than 890 radiologists. Kleinschmidt most recently served as CEO of St Paul Radiology, Minneapolis, and senior VP of business services at NightHawk Radiology.

Van Moore, MD, chairman of SR and president of Charlotte Radiology, said the hire was the result of good timing. “Mark became available in looking for an affiliation, and several of the SR practice executives have known him for a while,” notes Van Moore. “He’s a good fit. His experience with a large group like St Paul Radiology, and his extensive radiology background will serve SR well.”

As he assumes the top non-physician executive spot at SR, Kleinschmidt emphasizes that the primary objective of the organization is to develop ideas that will further the independence of the private practice. “We are not trying to be competitive,” he asserts. “We are doing what is good for radiology and good for radiologists.”

July 30, 2010

MMP Signs Gulf Imaging Associates

Two New Agfa DR Solutions Available

Moffitt and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Select lifeIMAGE

Renaissance Ultrasound Garners New Contracts

NVIDIA Launches 3D Vision Pro

Hologic Announces Panel Date for Breast Tomosynthesis

Philips Acquires Shanghai Apex Electronics

Brigham and Women’s Chooses Carestream DR

Fuji Hits 1,000 US FFDM Installs

eHealth’s HIE Survey Shows Progress

Russo Radiology Boasts Results from MedInformatix RIS

GE Healthcare Teams Up on Regional EHR

» More Business Wire

Compiled by Cat Vasko

July 23, 2010

CMS Solicits Participants for Imaging Decision-support Pilot

CMS is seeking participants for a just-announced $10 million demonstration pilot that will test the effectiveness of decision-support systems (DSSs) in curbing the utilization of 11 CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine imaging studies associated with 32 different CPT codes (Exhibit 1).

The agency anticipates eligible applicants, which it is calling conveners, to include medical specialty societies, physician groups, integrated health care delivery systems, independent practice associations, IT vendors, and radiology benefits managers. The law prohibits the use of prior authorization in the project.

“There were hundreds of demonstration projects peppered throughout the health care bill, and we are pleased that CMS thinks enough of this project to make it one of the first out of the gate,” says Josh Cooper, JD, senior director of government relations, the ACR. “We advocated for the provision in the health care bill under the CMS innovation section.”

July 14, 2010

Final Meaningful Use Rule Throws Radiology Some Curves

CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator scaled back their requirements for demonstrating meaningful use of information technology in an 864-page final rule released yesterday, trimming by 20% the criteria physicians and hospitals are required to meet in order to receive HITECH funds for electronic health record system purchases.

In the process, they may have dashed or at least delayed radiology community hopes that the rule would propel the adoption of radiology decision support and computerized order entry systems (CPOE) when CMS scaled back the CPOE requirement to apply to medications only, eliminating imaging and laboratory.

“It seems so short cited: Here we have all of these grandiose IT goals and the places where we should be focusing, or could be focusing for, quick success gets caught in the sludge,” says Liz Quam, executive director of the Quality Institute at the Center for Diagnostic Imaging in Minneapolis and a founding member of the Imaging e-Ordering Coalition.

» More Imaging Newswire Business