KishHealth System has selected Agfa HealthCares DX-D 500 direct radiography x-ray suite for two of its hospitals.

Benefis Health System has selected NextGen ambulatory EHR, practice management and health information exchange software as its technology foundation.

With payment models shifting, belts getting even tighter and hospital relationships more fragile than ever, the radiology practice model is evolving. Increasing demands for subspecialist coverage, coupled with the need to trim costs, are fueling a spate of mergers and acquisitions across the U.S., a trend that is projected to continue and perhaps, accelerate, as healthcare reforms are implemented.

Technologists may hold the express pass to optimized CT workflow. With dwindling reimbursement and CT bundling impacting departments of all sizes, the impetus to milk maximum productivity from CT investments is clear.

As the government and payors try to rein in imaging costs and eliminate inappropriate exams, a cascade of studies has attacked radiologys handling of incidental findings. Recent articles on pulmonary emboli, cardiac CT, emergency imaging and internal medicine have pointed to the high volume of incidentalomas that bring about additional testing, potential complications and on the whole, little change to patient management.

Hardin Memorial Hospital has selected ProVation Order Sets as its electronic order set platform.

The business of healthcare in general and radiology specifically has grown exponentially more challenging in recent years. A variety of factorsan aging population, healthcare reform, evolving payment modelshave converged and unleashed a storm.

As more hospitals are merging and consolidating with other hospitals to deflect reimbursement cuts and costly overheads, the Department of Justice (DoJ) has updated its Antitrust Divisions Policy Guide to Merger Remedies to help ease this complex process and help add transparency to the system.