The shift that will occur due to elimination of hospital fees for imaging services is anticipated to reduce patient costs by nearly $7 million a year.
UNC REX Healthcare, the private, not-for-profit health care system, recently announced that it has joined forces with Wake Radiology to expand specialized imaging services which can reduce medical costs for a multitude of patients annually.
Both the North Carolina based organizations announced in 2017 that they will be forming a joint venture to unite their outpatient imaging services. After the partnership became official, 14 outpatient imaging facilities were established by Wake Radiology UNC REX Healthcare in the Triangle area, along with schemes for future expansion as well.
The various locations of the outpatient service are equipped to offer comprehensive diagnostic imaging facilities which include CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, X-rays etc. all of which are expected to advance access to medical imaging in an outpatient setting. The locations will also provide 3D mammography, the technology designed to detect breast cancer at its earliest possible stage.
The partnership that facilitates medical imaging in an outpatient setting will help many patients to forgo a hospital visit. The shift that will occur due to elimination of hospital-based fees is anticipated to reduce patient costs by nearly $7 million a year.
Steve Burriss, President, UNC REX Healthcare, has been reported to say that UNC REX aims to be a leader in value-based care system that finds new ways to reduce healthcare costs. He added that the partnership with Wake Radiology will offer significant benefits for UNC REX patients and the related community.
For the record, Wake Radiology is the largest and oldest outpatient imaging provider in the Triangle. It employs nearly 50 radiologists who are trained in specific subspecialties like sports and orthopedic imaging, breast imaging, interventional radiology and vein therapy, pediatric imaging, neuroradiology and neck-chest-abdomen-pelvis imaging.
The Wake Radiology UNC REX Healthcare partnership is expected to enhance delivery and coordination of medical imaging services with faster access to imaging and reports demanded by referring physicians, by making outpatient imaging more convenient for patients and by reducing the need for duplicate exams.
