UVA, Foundation radiology group partner to expand access to specialized medical imaging

To expand access throughout Virginia to specialized, high-quality medical imaging, University of Virginia Health System and Foundation Radiology Group have signed a radiology and medical imaging services partnership agreement.

“There is no question that the rapid changes occurring in the health care environment are creating challenges for all radiology practices.  Academic medical centers, in particular, have the additional challenge of adjusting to these changes while continuing to optimize the educational experience of their trainees and pursue discovery and scholarly activities,” said Alan Matsumoto, MD, chair of the Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging at UVA Health System. “The innovative partnership between the University of Virginia and Foundation Radiology group will not only allow our Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging to better address our clinical, research and educational missions, but also create a radiology practice model that can more easily adapt to the changing needs of the patients and health systems we serve. One of the most exciting components of this new UVA-Foundation radiology team is that we will have a greater opportunity to positively impact the well-being of more patients across the Commonwealth.”

“Support from Foundation’s team will bolster our teaching and research missions, and help us enhance the services we provide to patients in Charlottesville and throughout the Commonwealth,” said Dan Wassilchalk, chief operating officer for UVA Radiology. “Working together, UVA and Foundation will be able to advance and share knowledge to improve the health and well-being of the communities being served.”

“As health systems shift to value-based care, having more subspecialty-trained radiologists both locally and remotely to support every service line and center of excellence is essential to deliver the future of radiology,” says Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Vance, MD.

Foundation’s proprietary IT platform fully integrates multiple hospitals across networks, allowing for a seamless workflow, image visualization, and data exchange. Six Sigma efficiency processes and quality measures are incorporated into all aspects of the radiology workflow. And, comprehensive reporting on service and quality inform each hospital’s strategic plan and drive progress toward goals and quality initiatives.

“With 100 percent of critical findings delivered in less than 20 minutes with more accuracy, you are not merely supporting hospital centers of excellence, you are saving lives,” Vance said.