Facility Management

The median starting salary for diagnostic radiologists in 2010 was $350,000, according to the just-released Placement Starting Salary Survey: 2011 Report Based on 2010 Data from the Medical Group Management Association.

Boost your patient satisfaction and streamline your workflow with these top five tips.

Accrediting organizations urge providers to apply by June 30, 2011. On the first day of 2012, private outpatient imaging centers providing MRI, CT, PET exams and nuclear medicine procedures will need accreditation for Medicare to reimburse for the technical component under Part B of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

Yes, part of radiology service is accommodating what seem like demanding requests sometimes. But each call, be it from physician or patient, needs to be handled professionally, quickly and efficiently.

Better scheduling, reminder calls, and skillful staff will let you get more patients through each day.

Kiosks have been touted as a way to streamline patient registration, especially during peak hours, increase the accuracy of recorded patient data, collect co-pays or outstanding balances in a timelier manner, and better utilize front-office staff.

Although 40 percent of surveyed mammographers anticipate a suit in the next five years, in reality 10 percent will face a legal challenge.

Though access to capital remains tight and Medicare dollars are hard to come by, managers of hospital radiology departments remain confident in their ability to turn a profit.

The use of breast shields is the technique of choice to protect the breasts of women from radiation exposure while undergoing chest CT examinations, according to a new study.

CMS's new abdomen-pelvis CT scans combined-code requirement halves reimbursement, reducing payment for tumor, cancer, or similar scans.

General practitioners generally find radiology reports helpful. Specialists? A little less so.

Retirement and recruitment may be growing. Is your practice ready?

Aycan Medical Systems has announced that the company has received European clearance to market its mobile imaging app - optimized for use on the iPad 2 - and is awaiting FDA clearance.

Radiology Associates of South Florida, one of the largest practices in the country based in Miami-Dade County, recently make a major shift in their revenue cycle management. Here, Dennis Wiseman, RASF’s executive director, discusses why they changed systems, the challenges they faced, and what other practices should know before diving in.

High utilizers of advanced medical imaging beware: the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) just voted 15-1 this month to recommend to Congress that the top tier of referrers of advanced medical imaging should get prior authorization first.

Researchers at the International Imaging Industry Association (I3A) examined potential damage to imaging materials entering the country as cargo, which is being screened by high-energy X-ray equipment. Indeed, one kind of X-ray machine is likely to cause damage to medical imaging films, according to the group.

You’re working hard and logging long hours. But what about taking care of yourself? Do you get a chance to exercise regularly?

HealthDay News - Shorter work week for doctors in training has had little impact, positive or negative, on patient safety

The national march toward regulating radiology extenders continues with Utah becoming the 29th state to regulate, license, or recognize radiologist assistants (RA) as part of the team.

The Global Harmonization Task Force, which was created in 1992 to “achieve greater uniformity between national medical device regulatory systems,” decided recently to disband and reform without industry representatives. The group is comprised of the U.S. FDA and the regulatory bodies of the European Union, Japan, Canada, and Australia.

Twitter's popularity continues to grow, and hundreds of physicians are turning to the 140-character platform to connect and share information. Do you tweet?

HealthDay News - A contrast agent for certain MRIs

Radiologist assistants (RAs) and radiology practitioner assistants (RPAs) may be highly educated and experienced, but CMS won’t pay for their services in all settings. Reimbursement depends on the setting (office, hospital inpatient or outpatient, and independent diagnostic testing facility), the level of physician supervision, and the type of procedure (diagnostic versus surgical/interventional).

Yes, reimbursements are down and costs are up - but for academic faculty specialist physicians, there is some good news: Your income has increased slightly, according to new data from the Medical Group Management Association.

The workload may be heavy, and the time short, but know this: patients want their radiology study results quickly, and many are happy to get those results directly from the radiologist, according to a new study, which brings up a new or shifting model of patient-centered radiology, where the radiologist is more visible in patient care.

Royal Philips Electronics and Microsoft announced recently that they’re teaming up to give radiologists a more complete way to view patient data, including laboratory and pathology reports, medications, and admission, transfer and discharge data.

For a look at what major technology trends are on the horizon for this year, Diagnostic Imaging turned to two thought leaders: William G. Bradley, MD, PhD, who chairs the radiology department at the University of California-San Diego, and Jeffrey Weinreb, MD, professor of diagnostic radiology and director of medical imaging at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.

A recent article in the Journal of American College of Radiology explains why it takes so long for new imaging technologies to make their way into the radiology suite. For starters, escalating U.S. government requirements mean that imaging advances take even longer to push through than in the past. The rate of innovation is much faster than the ability to get new technologies through the costly regulatory and adoption process.