1999 sees increase in imaging centers

A study published by SMG Marketing Group of Chicago shows that the number of U.S. imaging centers profiled by the company increased in the first three quarters of 1999 by 5% compared to the year before, climbing from 2661 to 2801. The imaging center market has seen steady expansion since 1989, when there were 1502 sites across the U.S.

SMG reports that firms such as HealthSouth of Birmingham, AL, Medical Resources of Hackensack, NJ, and U.S. Diagnostic of West Palm Beach, FL, dominate this market, and have been changing the imaging center landscape with mergers and acquisitions. In the first three quarters of 1999, U.S. Diagnostic moved from first place in the market to third when it sold its underperforming facilities, decreasing its owned centers from 108 to 69 (SCAN 3/3/99). In the meantime, HealthSouth became the largest imaging center chain in the U.S., with 122 centers, while Medical Resources came in second with 84.