Radiology

From health and safety concerns to the economy and job security, the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in significant changes to how we work and how we live.

Millions of Americans became telecommuters overnight and many radiologists who were accustomed to working in a traditional setting found themselves in unfamiliar territory—at a new home-workstation. For many, there were other new challenges—trying to work in close proximity with family members, adapting to no childcare, helping with e-learning, managing new “virtual work” technologies, etc. For most everyone it became clear, there was a growing need for work-life balance, work stability and work support.

The pandemic made one thing very clear: Practices must become more agile to survive inevitable imaging volume fluctuations in the coming months and years. Changing how they manage operational costs and business risks will be critical to success.

When COVID-19 forced medical facilities to delay elective procedures across the country, imaging volume plummeted over 50% for many providers almost overnight. While volume has started to recover, the pandemic is forcing imaging service providers to aggressively rethink their business strategies, a key component of which is radiologist staffing.

Behind the scenes, it takes a lot of complex technology and sophisticated software to make an advanced reading platform run so seamlessly. At vRad, our incomparable team of technologists and programmers are developing some of the most advanced applications in the medical industry, all with the goal of empowering radiologists to practice radiology free from unnecessary interruptions, distractions, logistical hurdles, and administrative burdens.

For the latest information on vRad’s Artificial Intelligence program please visit vrad.com/radiology-services/radiology-ai/

Accelerating care delivery

I am pleased to share that vRad has deployed two additional Artificial Intelligence (AI) models to our imaging platform, bringing the total to seven active models helping patients right now.

The first new model identifies pneumoperitoneum in chest CTs, and the second model identifies testicular torsion in ultrasound scans. Both conditions are critical, and timely diagnoses will have a positive impact on patient outcomes. As with all our innovation and product development, our models are immediately available to clients as part of our AI-enhanced on-the-ground and in-the-cloud radiology solutions.

Our practice is for sale. And frankly, I’m pretty excited about it. Based on past experiences, the sale of vRad bodes well for the future of our practice, our staff and our clients.

After 11 years as a vRad radiologist – 3 of them as Clinical Chief of Abdominal Imaging – I left in 2019 for a teleradiology position at another well-known national practice. Just 9 months later, I’m back. Here’s why.