|
 |
 | DIIR April 2008 (full PDF issue) |
| TOP OF THE NEWS
Health plans try to stem growth of imaging services
ACCREDITATION
Joint Commission issues Sentinel Event Alert on MRIs
STUDIES
Quality of care, Medicare cutbacks drive healthcare IT
EYE ON IMAGING
Diagnostic imaging mergers & acquisitions on the rise
LEGAL NEWS
Wisconsin court strikes down noncompetition agreements
BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
Alliance 2007 revenues exceed expectations
MTS buys majority stake in HealthHelp
Given hits roadblock on imaging device, but revenues grow
Diagnostic imaging stocks fall 17% in last 4 weeks
MARKET SCANNER
Mass General expands Tele3D services
Full Article |
| Health Plans Try to Stem Growth of Imaging Services |
| A new study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) confirms what many in the diagnostic imaging industry already know: As advanced medical imaging services grow at double-digit rates, health plans are scrutinizing their use more closely and targeting such high-cost services for more aggressive oversight.
Full Article |
| Imaging M&A Activity Picking Up |
| Mergers and acquisitions in the diagnostic imaging industry, which had slowed to almost a standstill in the last few years, are once again on the rise. Since June 2007, there have been 11 deals worth more than $743 million, according to Washington G-2 estimates.
Full Article |
| Joint Commission Issues Sentinel Event Alert on MRIs |
| The Joint Commission (Oakbrook, IL) has issued a Sentinel Event Alert that urges hospitals and ambulatory care centers to pay special attention to preventing accidents and injuries that can occur during MRI scans.
Full Article |
| Quality of Care, Medicare Cutbacks Drive Healthcare IT |
| Delivery of quality healthcare is driving investments in clinical technology, including electronic medical records (EMR) and technology that reduces medical errors, such as computerized practitioner order entry (CPOE), suggest results of the 19th Annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Leadership Survey, sponsored by Cisco. Medicare cutbacks and managed care fee reductions are creating uncertainty about the ability to fund such investments, the survey also reveals.
Full Article |
| Diagnostic Imaging Mergers & Acquisitions on the Rise |
| After a sluggish past several years, mergers and acquisitions in the diagnostic imaging industry are once again picking up. While there were virtually no significant deals between August 2006 and May 2007, since June there have been 11 mergers and acquisitions worth more than $743 million, according to Washington G-2 estimates.
Full Article |
| A Closer Look at Five Imaging Deals |
| Gores Group Buys HealthSouth Diagnostics for $47.5 Million
The Gores Group, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles, acquired HealthSouth Corp.’s diagnostic division for $47.5 million in June 2007. HealthSouth’s Diagnostic Division consisted of a network of 54 freestanding diagnostic imaging centers in 19 states and the District of Columbia. The deal came after HealthSouth officials decided to exit the diagnostic imaging business and reposition the company as a post-acute healthcare provider focusing on inpatient rehabilitation services. Gores renamed its purchase Diagnostic Health Corp.
Full Article |
| Legal News: Wisconsin Court Strikes Down Noncompetition Agreements |
| The Wisconsin Court of Appeals, Third District, on February 19, struck down two physician noncompetition agreements on the grounds that they were not reasonably necessary to protect the principal from harmful competition.
Full Article |
| Business News: Alliance 2007 Revenues Exceed Expectations |
| Alliance Imaging said February 20 that revenues for 2007 came in at $444.9 million, which was above the company’s guidance range of $439 million to $443 million. Full-year 2007 revenue decreased 2.4% compared to 2006 revenues.
Full Article |
| Given Hits Roadblock on Imaging Device, but Revenues Grow |
| The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declined to approve Given Imaging’s PillCam Colon imaging device.
Full Article |
| MTS Buys Majority Stake in HealthHelp |
| Funds managed by MTS Health Investors LLC, a private equity firm, have purchased a majority stake in HealthHelp LLC, from an individual investor. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Full Article |
| Diagnostic Imaging Stocks Fall 17% in Last 4 Weeks |
| The 11 stocks in the G-2 Reports’ Diagnostic Imaging Index fell by an unweighted average of 17% in the four weeks ended Feb. 22, 2008, with three rising, seven falling, and one remaining virtually unchanged. Since the beginning of the year, the index has fallen 28%. In comparison, the S&P 500 has dropped 8%, and the Nasdaq composite has fallen by 13%.
Full Article |
| Mass General Expands Tele3D Services |
| Massachusetts General Hospital’s (MGH) 3D imaging services, once offered only to radiologists affiliated with the hospital, is now available to outside radiologists, imaging centers, and health systems.
Full Article |
Already a subscriber?