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Questar acquisition will build APP’s stable to 134 centersThe imaging center industry has a new powerhouse. Radiology services firm American Physician Partners has announced an agreement to acquire imaging center operator Questar Imaging.

Imaging center chain Medical Resources has signed an agreement with RGC International Investors that gives Medical Resources the right to purchase part or all of its preferred stock owned by RGC through Sept. 30. Prior to the agreement, the Hackensack,

Prospects strongest in PET, therapy planning, and HISNuclear medicine vendor ADAC Laboratories is enduring a tough period of business right now, particularly in its relationship with investors and the financial markets. The company no longer

Company plans to begin selling Virgo this yearThe industry’s newest vendor of MRI scanners will have instant name recognition when its open scanner is released into the U.S., possibly later this year. The fledgling company is already a player

Hybrid systems, expanded reimbursement take center stage at SNM meetingFor vendors at this year’s Society of Nuclear Medicine show in Los Angeles, the industry’s hard times of the mid-1990s were only a memory. While the meeting suffered

Acclaim Medical set to begin PET service in AugustYet another mobile PET operator will soon be traversing the freeways of southern California. The new arrival is Acclaim Medical, a start-up company founded by a former Alliance Imaging executive to

Many sites could lose reimbursement for MRI scansThe Y2K problem could have special meaning for MRI operators in the U.S., unless efforts by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) succeed. The Rosslyn, VA, industry association is

Firms call off bid due to “business opportunities” at InSight A group of shareholders has called off its plan to take imaging services firm InSight Health Services private, the company announced on June 2. The group said it was

Spanish hospital sees PACS as key to efficient operationNew institution serves 230,000 via capitated payment modelHealthcare institutions around the world are facing a strategic imperative to operate more efficiently. In this economic

Agency hopes publication will clarify proceduresDrug and device manufacturers got a glimpse into the internal workings of the Health Care Financing Administration last month when the agency for the first time outlined how it decides to grant

Nuclear medicine developer ADAC Laboratories of Milpitas, CA, will introduce a new version of its dedicated cardiac gamma camera at next month’s Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting in Los Angeles. ADAC has taken the basic design of its Cardio

PACS market records solid gains but Y2K may hamper growth rateVendors target integration, work-flow improvmentsBy most accounts, the PACS market is maturing. The benefits of the technology are well known, and medium and large healthcare

Abbott and Sonus make plans for market launchThe light at the end of a long regulatory tunnel has finally appeared for Sonus Pharmaceuticals. The Bothell, WA, company on April 19 received an approvable letter from the Food and Drug Administration

Company posts big loss for 1998Bigger isn't necessarily better in the beleaguered imaging services market. Although the market is now much less fragmented than it was three years ago, imaging center firms are still having a tough time making

Pressures on cost-containment may overshadow glow from unificationEurope has been in the headlines lately because of encouraging moves toward monetary and political union. These may represent the first steps toward the creation of a single huge

Company nears market with Definity contrast agentDu Pont Pharmaceuticals is moving into new territory with the imminent commercialization of its first ultrasound contrast agent, Definity. But the North Billerica, MA, company should not be treated

After months of intense lobbying efforts, PET advocates received good news this month when the Health Care Financing Administration agreed to expand its reimbursement coverage for PET applications. According to ADAC Laboratories of Milpitas, CA, HCFA

LifeTest deal falls through due to financing woesUltrafast CT developer Imatron shifted its corporate strategy last month when it agreed to sell its South San Francisco HeartScan coronary artery disease risk-assessment center to Imaging Technology

In a move that effectively ends U.S. Diagnostic’s activities in Texas, the imaging center chain divested its facilities in the state last month in two transactions valued at more than $23 million. USDL sought to divest the Texas centers because of

Carriers struggle to implement coverage documentPET imaging advocates rejoiced last year when the Health Care Financing Administration agreed to reimburse Medicare providers for lung cancer indications. The announcement sparked renewed interest in

Sen. Stevens may step in again if reimbursement does not materializeIt may take some effort for the nuclear medicine community to increase the number of PET applications eligible for Medicare reimbursement. At a town hall meeting in Baltimore last

Exclusion rule would bar companies from MedicareMedical device manufacturers are keeping an eye on how the U.S. government enforces a new rule on Medicare reimbursement that could have a big impact on equipment purchasing. While the rule is

Lobbyists fight for adequate contrast reimbursementIn November, the medical imaging community breathed a sigh of relief when industry advocates persuaded the Health Care Financing Administration to postpone cuts in technical reimbursement for

Firm sees potential in combo CT/PET sitesImatron took over officially as controlling shareholder of moribund PET manufacturer Positron of Houston last month. The move does not mean, however, that the South San Francisco-based supplier of ultrafast

Most companies aim products at cost-effectivenessA California company that sees the PET market as a promising opportunity for shared imaging services is gearing up for business. Mobile PET Systems of San Diego is taking delivery on two PET cameras