Facility: SimonMed® Imaging

Services: Advanced and specialized diagnostic imaging, with a focus in neurological, musculoskeletal, oncological, body, and interventional radiology.

EXPERTISE FUELING EFFICIENCY

For the largest specialized outpatient physician imaging practice in the country, hiring expert radiologists and maintaining leading-edge equipment isn’t just about upholding an exceptional standard of care—it’s about speed.

Operating out of 60-plus ACR-certified centers in Arizona, California, Florida, Nebraska, and Nevada, MedRisk’s Network Provider SimonMed® Imaging maintains its ability to schedule same-day or next-day appointments by investing in the resources needed to make an accurate diagnosis the first time, every time.

“We hire fellowship-trained radiologists who focus solely on their subspecialty,” said Von Doss, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. “Our MSK [musculoskeletal] docs only read MSK cases. They see the same types of patients follow up and how the diagnosis progresses. Over time, they get better and better at what they do.”

This expertise is backed by specialized assays running on the latest in MRI technologies, including 3T wide-bore and open MRIs, which are designed not only for efficiency but also for comfort.

“Claustrophobia is an issue we are always trying to battle and minimize. We have very tailored protocols based on specific joints and disorders so we can run the scans faster for our patients,” Doss said.

For worker’s comp patients, cases are further expedited with tailored reporting.

“We know when we’re scanning a worker’s comp patient, and our doctors know when they read them,” said Doss. “Our radiologists look for acute and chronic injuries, so the proper workup can be determined and the patient can get back to work as quickly as possible.”

ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE CARE

SimonMed helps keep costs in check for payers and patients with its ability to perform select interventions in an outpatient setting. According to Doss, lumbar puncture, liver biopsy, deep vein thrombosis treatments (i.e., thrombolysis and thrombectomy) and 180 other procedures often cost a fraction of what you would pay at a hospital.

“Other provider groups try to get very large so they can increase rates and push around the market,” Doss said. “We’ve always felt you should be able to do well as a company and provide good care to patients at an affordable cost.”

Supporting this mission are SimonMed’s sponsorships and partnerships with organizations including the Susan B. Komen Foundation, St. Vincent DePaul, and at-risk community practices where access to care is a challenge. The company recently donated $100,000 in services to the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Well Woman HealthCheck Program, which helps low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women gain access to breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services.

“In some parts of the country, costs are just too high. People are paying $1200-$3000 for an MRI scan,” Doss said. “We want to go into those markets and bring affordable care to patients. With the move to cut the cost of healthcare, we think we are well-positioned to do that.”