Located just north of New York City, Southwestern Connecticut is a region dominated by large hospital systems. In this extremely competitive market, many independent radiology practices have either been acquired or are struggling to survive. Yet, Advanced Radiology Consultants is not only surviving, it’s thriving.
A Practice Built around Customer Service
As the chief of Neuroradiology for Advanced Radiology Consultants, Gerard Muro, MD, sees his mission as being more than premier quality imaging. “The real purpose here is the patient,” he states. “For us, the patient experience is as important as the quality of the exam itself.” This approach pervades every aspect of Advanced Radiology and judging by the evidence in terms of patient growth, increasing referrals, and overall reputation in a highly competitive market, it’s working.
Dennis Condon, chief operating officer, has a similar view. “We want our patients to tell their physicians that Advanced Radiology is the right place to go. We want the 16,000 physicians that refer to us to know this is the right place for the quality, speed, and accuracy they demand, as well as for their patients’ care. So it’s critical to have the right tools in the right hands at the right time.”
Expanding the Patient Base with a Second MAGNETOM Espree
In 2006, Advanced Radiology became one of the first centers in the country to install the MAGNETOM Espree. Very quickly, the staff found it was serving a far greater range of patients. As Condon recalls, “With the MAGNETOM Espree, you could suddenly fit many more people than before—from pediatrics to bariatrics. And the beauty was that it also allowed for shorter sequences.” The result: patients spent less time being scanned, the center could scan more patients, and doctors could receive their reports faster.
That system, located in Advanced Radiology’s Stamford, CT, office, handled a significant portion of the practice’s pediatric, bariatric, claustrophobic, and other specialty work for nearly a decade. “It’s a workhorse,” as Condon says. But as the number of patients and referrals grew, so did the need for an additional wide-bore MR.
Of course, cost was a factor in deciding what equipment to acquire. “We certainly have to be cost conscious in this day and age,” notes Dr. Muro. “But we will never compromise on quality, and the technology must exceed our expectations for what we need to provide.”
Committed to those high standards, Advanced Radiology decided to purchase a second MAGNETOM Espree for its Trumbull, CT, office in 2014. However, the practice did not purchase a brand new piece of equipment, opting instead for a refurbished MAGNETOM Espree eco that could deliver like-new performance at a lower price point.
