Whitney Palmer

How To Be The Perfect Radiology Group

Published on the DiagnosticImaging.com website on Feb. 19, 2015

By Whitney L.J. Howell

You have reimbursement woes. You worry about your billing practices. You wonder if you’re doing the right things to demonstrate your value to partner hospitals. The daily stresses can be nearly overwhelming – but, if you were a perfect radiology group, these worries wouldn’t exist.

The perfect radiology group has tweaked its day-to-day activities. Their streamlined coding process ensures proper payment. Their targeted marketing attracts more referring physicians, and personnel tactics secure a seat at the administrative decision-making table. Every day, for the perfect radiology group, operations are smooth.

But, is the perfect radiology group really attainable? Not really, industry experts acknowledge, but it’s possible for you to get close. Later this year, the American College of Radiology (ACR) will release a road map for creating your “optimal” radiology practice or department. In it, according to Mark Bernardy, MD, chair of the ACR Managed Care Committee, you’ll find a list of best practices that were tested at the ground level, and can help you on your way. Consider it an expansion of ACR’s Imaging 3.0.

“Imaging 3.0 has laudable big picture ideas. Everyone nods their head that it sounds good and right. But, then, exactly what is it that you want me to do?” said Bernardy, who is also a practicing Georgia-based radiologist. “There’s a big gap. I thought it would be useful to go through the exercise of writing down what it is we mean when we say, ‘This is what the perfect radiology group looks like.’”

As a compilation of best practices gathered from large medical centers and small private practices nationwide, it will be a living document, open to modification with new, effective ideas, he said.

Read the remainder of the story at its original location: http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/practice-management/how-be-perfect-radiology-group?cid=tophero

February 23, 2015 - Posted by wjpalmer | Healthcare | American College of Radiology, American College of Radiology Managed Care Committee, best practices for perfect radiology group, guidance for perfect radiology group, Mark Bernardy MD, Michael Bruno MD, perfect radiology group, Radiology Business Management Association