Hospitals with consistently low cardiac performance measure rankings also received a thumbs down in patient satisfaction, according to a study published online April 10 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. But the authors warn that without understanding factors that contribute to poor performance, pay-for-performance and value-based initiatives may exacerbate problems at these hospitals and adversely impact care.

A class action lawsuit has been filed against St. Joseph Health System of Orange, Calif., in light of a year-long patient data glitch.

Prime Healthcare Services, a hospital management company based in Ontario, Calif., has signed a master agreement with Infinitt North America to replace PACS and cardiology PACS at several of its California hospitals.

Outpatient Diagnostic Center of Nashville has updated its facility, which included interior renovations and the installation of GE MRI equipment.

Virtual Radiologic (vRad) Radiology Alliance partner, Diagnostic Imaging Inc., has been joined by Radiology Associates of New Jersey, a radiology group covering seven locations in Southern New Jersey.

The Defense Logistics Agency, which provides logistics, acquisition and technical services for the U.S. military, has exercised an option on a Siemens Medical Solutions contract for military radiology systems worth up to $1.9 billion.

Studies have shown the American College of Radiologys (ACR) evidence-based Appropriateness Criteria (ACR-AC) have had trouble gaining traction among resident trainees and attending physicians, despite being available for more than a decade. The latest such study, a survey of thoracic imaging practices sent to resident trainees and pulmonary and critical medicine fellows, once again shows lacking awareness of the ACR-AC, according to the results published in the May issue of Academic Radiology.

Drops in patient office visits, non-emergency room hospital admissions and older patients use of retail drugs contributed to a decline in the overall per capita utilization of medicine in 2011, according to a report by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. But emergency room admissions rose, all trends that point to higher costs for the healthcare system in the future.