𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆?

It’s tempting to look for a single answer:

• Turnaround times

• Staffing levels

• RVU productivity

• Physician compensation

• Financial support

Each tells you something.

None tells you everything.

A radiology service line is an interconnected operating system. Evaluating whether it is truly working requires looking beyond individual metrics and across the entire model.

𝗔𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

• Financial Sustainability — Can the economics support the services being required?

• Staffing & Coverage — Can the model reliably deliver the coverage the organization needs?

• Operational Performance — Is the service line consistently meeting expectations?

• Physician Engagement — Are radiologists functioning as active clinical partners?

• Quality & Patient Access — Is the model supporting timely, high-quality patient care?

• Contract Alignment — Are economics, expectations, performance, and accountability aligned?

The important question isn’t simply how each area performs independently.

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.

Financial pressure can affect staffing.

Staffing affects coverage.

Coverage affects performance.

Performance and workload affect physician engagement.

And ultimately, all of it can affect patient access and care.

That’s why repeatedly addressing individual symptoms may not solve the underlying problem.

If financial support is increasing, staffing remains difficult, coverage is unstable, and performance is beginning to suffer, leadership may need to ask a bigger question:

Are we dealing with several independent problems — or one radiology model that is no longer properly aligned?

That’s the thinking behind the Radiology Model Health Check.

Don’t just measure the symptoms. Evaluate the model.

Which of these six dimensions is creating the greatest challenge for radiology organizations today?

Andrew Mazzella is a healthcare administrator and radiology consultant with more than 25 years of experience in practice management, healthcare operations, financial management, strategic growth, and process improvement.

Since 2003, Andrew has held leadership roles in radiology management. He serves as CEO of Radiologic Associates, P.C., a private radiology group supporting hospital systems, outpatient imaging centers, and medical practices across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Since 2016, he has also served as a Radiology Consultant with Enhance Healthcare Consulting, advising healthcare organizations on radiology operations, financial performance, practice management, and strategic growth.

Andrew is an active member of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and the Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA).

[Read Andrew Mazzella’s Full Bio] | [Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn]