Zotec Partners, LLC (Zotec) today announces it has closed the definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent of the stock of Medical Management Professionals, Inc. (MMP), a medical billing and practice management company and subsidiary of publicly traded CBIZ, Inc., effective Aug. 30, 2013.

The BrainSuite, an intraoperative imaging suite housed in the Patient Pavilion at Albany Medical Center in New York, is set to become fully operational on Sept. 4. Recently the center hosted members of the media for a tour of the new facility.

Reducing unnecessary radiation exposure is a critical health initiative in today’s imaging world, and a Columbus-based radiology practice is helping to solve this important patient health concern.

It’s easy to get lost in the weeds as I try to keep up with the latest imaging applications, and digging through comparative effectiveness research or analyses of dose reduction strategies can be intriguing. But every once in a while you have to take a step back from this zoomed-in view and look at the bigger picture.

Direct Radiology, LLC, ("DR") a national physician-owned and operated teleradiology partnership, says a patent lawsuit filed by Virtual Radiologic ("vRad") and NightHawk Radiology Services ("NightHawk") is unfounded and represents an attempt to stymie market competition from smaller, more responsive, physician-driven companies.

The FDA has approved an implantable spinal cord stimulation device designed to block pain that’s safe for patients who need to undergo full-body MRI.

While some advocate use of a radiologic examination of ducts during gallbladder surgery to prevent common duct injury, the benefits are unclear. Adding to the debate, a study published Aug. 28 in JAMA found no significant association between the procedure and reduced risk of injury.

More robust educational interventions may be necessary to encourage appropriate imaging, as a single lecture and Q & A session failed to deliver results in one institution’s efforts to limit unnecessary CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) tests in the emergency department (ED), according to a study published in the September issue of Academic Radiology.