Three Scottish health boards sign PACS deals

Three Scottish health boards have signed access agreements with Carestream Health to install Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS), as part of the National Services Scotland contract.

NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Borders and NHS Lothian have all signed agreements to install Carestream PACS and information management solutions by the end of this year, bringing the total number of implementations to seven of the 15 Scottish health boards.

Technorati Tags: teleradiology, PACS, carestream

“How am I supposed to live on a lousy $8,000 dollars per week?” was one of the more temperate responses we got to the revelation that radiologists are only the second-highest paid specialty, averaging $425,000 per year.

“Those invasive cardiology bastards shouldn’t be number one” snarled another heartbroken radiologist, who wanted to remain anonymous while he sat on the beach in the Virgin Islands.

Radiology the second-highest paid specialty

Martin, Fletcher, a leading national healthcare recruiting and consultancy firm, released the results of both its annual physician compensation survey and combined nursing and allied health industry trends and benefits report today. Gathering data from more than 2,000 healthcare organizations across the nation that encompass more than 35 physician, nurse and allied health specialties, Martin, Fletcher’s studies have identified key compensation and benefits trends that point to elevated turnover rates at hospitals, and an exodus to group practices.

Technorati Tags: radiology, healthcare, compensation, salary

TeleDiagnosys Services Pvt Ltd, a premier provider of Teleradiology reporting services to hospitals and radiology groups in US and several other countries today announced that their company will be opening 2 state-of-the-art Teleradiology reporting centers, one each in Pune and Mumbai under the leadership of well known radiologist Dr Deepak Patkar.

Technorati Tags: teleradiology, telediagnosys, india

NightHawk Radiology Holdings, Inc. , the leading provider of solutions to radiology groups across the United States, today announced the acquisition of Midwest Physician Services, LLC, the business services division of St. Paul Radiology. With this acquisition, NightHawk expands its service offering and now provides the broadest suite of integrated radiology solutions available — professional services, clinical workflow technology, and now business services. The acquisition further distinguishes NightHawk as the leading provider of radiology solutions.

NightHawk moves from strength to strength, evolving from being solely a provider of radiologists, through systems integration and development, to becoming a provider of business services.

Technorati Tags: teleradiology, nighthawk

WebWire | Agfa HealthCare wins radiology and cardiology PACS / CVIS contract at Morris Hospital

Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers of Morris, Illinois, has installed Agfa HealthCare’s integrated radiology and cardiology solution - featuring Agfa HealthCare’s IMPAX™ Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) and the Cardiovascular Image and Information Management (CVIS) solutions - in a deal completed earlier this year that includes service maintenance agreements. The installation of the two integrated systems at Morris Hospital, which performs 60,000 radiology and cardiology exams each year, was completed early in the second quarter of 2007.

The fourth principle, “Confront Problems”, is interesting. Amongst other things, Muroff recommends contracts that spell out which activities will be legally protected by the group, and which will not. Malpractice suits are a cost of doing business, while sexual harassment suits are not.

The 12 habits of highly successful radiology groups

A great radiology practice is built upon the foundation of a strong business structure and excellent governance, according to Dr. Lawrence Muroff, president and CEO of radiology consulting service Imaging Consultants of Tampa, FL. Successful practices have developed and implemented an effective mission statement and a well-constructed business plan, and adhere to established policies and procedures. They also share a culture of communication and active participation by all partners in nurturing and building the practice.

NightHawk tipped by Morningstar

NightHawk is a heavyweight in the nighttime teleradiology industry. While most players consist of a handful of radiologists operating solely within a region or state, NightHawk’s 100-plus radiologists and expansive client base (more than 20% coverage of all U.S. hospitals) facilitates a large volume of daily radiology interpretations and makes better use of each radiologist’s time, an important factor considering the shortage of U.S. radiologists. NightHawk intends to gain greater scale by acquiring smaller U.S.-based competitors, which will also serve to increase its exposure to the budding daytime teleradiology market.

Technorati Tags: teleradiology, nighthawk, morningstar