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Radiology Services
Competition for radiology and imaging services is increasing as hospitals, freestanding imaging centers,
and physician office-based services strive to offer greater convenience and service for patients and physicians.
When considering their diagnostic and interventional radiology programs, hospitals often find themselves balancing
among strategic, operational, and financial concerns.
Radiology equipment is a high-dollar investment, and thorough business planning and a deep understanding
of strategic, reimbursement, and competitive realities are essential to making the investment pay off. At the
same time, new imaging technologies are coming online, and radiology applications are extending into more
specialties, creating medical staff strife and turf wars over access to patients. Finally, the reimbursement
picture is murky, with practices creating additional business risks.
ECG helps clients address all of the challenges related to radiology services. Our services include:
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Strategic and Business Planning – ECG helps hospitals
strategically plan their diagnostic imaging services, whether they include promoting an outreach strategy,
implementing a new technology, recapturing lost volume, or developing partnerships with physicians or other
providers. Additionally, as hospitals restructure operations around service lines, we help them determine
where to place imaging capacity within the organization and how to share resources between specialties and
services. We conduct market, financial, and operational analyses to guide strategic decisions and develop
business plans to guide successful implementation.
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Operational Improvement – ECG helps hospitals to improve
their operations and compete with freestanding imaging centers. Our approach generates focus on patient access,
provider scheduling, and report turnaround time, as these factors typically differentiate independent imaging
centers from traditional hospital radiology departments. We also help hospitals assess their work flow and design
improvements prior to implementation of a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) so that they can avoid
automating existing inefficiencies.
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Hospital/Radiology Contracting Assistance – ECG helps hospitals
craft service contracts that meet both physician and hospital needs to balance higher service standards with the
continued undersupply of radiologists. In developing these agreements, we assist hospitals in balancing the often
competing interests of radiologists and other specialists.
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Joint Venture Development– ECG helps hospitals develop joint
ventures with physicians that share revenue while protecting hospital interests and addressing financial, operational,
and strategic mandates. Our approach ensures that hospitals thoroughly understand the financial and strategic
implications of pursuing a joint venture, while also providing leadership with insight into how to mitigate potential
risk factors.
To learn about our clients’ successes in radiology, please see the following:
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Selected Projects
- Assisted a hospital and a local radiology group in securing a long-term service contract.
ECG identified key issues impacting the
relationship (scheduling patterns, coverage availability, evening call, department leadership, role of medical director,
etc.) and worked with the group and the hospital to reach consensus on the underlying causes and potential solutions.
In addition, we assessed the hospital’s coverage requirements and provided recommendations for the appropriate staffing
schedule. Finally, we evaluated the expired contract and provided detailed recommendations to the group and the hospital
for revising the agreement in a manner that would address many of the concerns raised and be mutually acceptable.
- Assisted a 250-bed community hospital with business planning for a joint venture between the hospital and radiology group for an existing, hospital-owned outpatient imaging center.
ECG developed the conceptual model of the joint
venture, prepared financial statements and related analyses, and determined the major terms of the proposed transaction.
- Developed a strategic plan for a radiology group.
ECG developed a plan that would improve and grow the
group’s business relationship with the hospital, provide stability to the practice, and improve its ability to deliver
effective, efficient, and comprehensive radiology services to patients.
- Provided interim management and operational improvement services for the diagnostic imaging department of a 250-bed hospital.
ECG managed daily operations, working directly with
the radiologists to resolve personnel and/or operational flow issues; managed vendor relationships; and ensured the
department achieved monthly budget targets.
- Conducted interim management and turnaround assistance for the diagnostic imaging department of a large academic medical center.
ECG revised the organizational structure of the
20-person department, improved operational performance, enhanced management accountability, and prepared a business plan
for expanding imaging services.
- Assisted in operations improvement of the radiology department at an academic medical center.
ECG conducted a diagnostic review of radiology
resources and implemented near-term improvement recommendations identified in the diagnostic review. The result of this
engagement was a more effective organizational structure, enhanced communication and coordination between physicians and
staff, and improved operations.
- Assisted in Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) assessment and implementation.
ECG performed a PACS readiness assessment, which
included evaluating: organizational and project leadership; facilities, technical, and operational considerations; and
vendor and product considerations. We then assisted the client in negotiating a contract with a preferred vendor and
provided interim PACS project management assistance.
- Assisted a health system in renegotiating a radiology service agreement with an affiliated radiology group.
As part of this process, ECG prepared a Request
for Proposal (RFP) for radiology services and evaluated responses.
- Assessed the impact of integrating hospital radiology professional staff with faculty at an academic medical center (AMC).
We conducted a number of financial and operational
analyses that resulted in the identification of issues associated with the proposed integration, as well as an estimation
of the financial impact for the department and the professional staff.
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