Archived Articles

Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg (RAF) is one of the 75 largest private radiology practices in the United States, according to a recent survey published by Radiology Business Journal. The 2011 listing of “The 75 Largest Private Radiology Practices” was sponsored by Intelerad Distributed Radiology Solutions. Private radiology practices were ranked based on number of employees, studies performed, and imaging centers served. RAF, the largest provider of medical imaging services in the Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford region, ranked 58th in the 2011 survey. The practice is headed by Chief Executive Officer Ed Swager and President David L. Glasser, MD.

Check-in paperwork is becoming a thing of the past for patients at Virginia Interventional & Vascular Associates (VIVA). VIVA will begin introducing the Phreesia™ check-in system to patients in the next few months, said Jennifer Dawson, NP-C, VIVA director. Instead of clipboards with pages of questions, patients will be provided computer tablets that they can take back to their seats to answer check-in questions easily and electronically. “Patients will enjoy the fact that all their information is stored for them in a confidential and secure manner, and they do not have to fill out paperwork over and over again,” said Dawson, who saw the system demonstrated at a medical conference and brought the idea back to VIVA for evaluation. “Of course, patients will still have a paper option if they prefer.” Most patients – 81 percent – preferred electronic check-in to paper forms in a survey of more than 1.2 million patients who used Phreesia in 2011, according to a company spokesperson. Patients will not need computer skills to use the system, Dawson added. The tablet’s design and electronic prompts make check-in easy and intuitive for most users. VIVA staff will be ready to assist any patients who need help in becoming more familiar with the system. In fact, the system automatically alerts staff if a patient seems to be taking a long time with the check-in process. The system also will: • Provide automatic insurance eligibility checks • Accept patient credit card/debit card payments • Eliminate misunderstandings caused by illegible handwriting • Interface with electronic medical records for more complete patient charts • Offer medical educational content that patients can view after check-in to better understand their medical conditions Additional information about the system will be available following implementation later this year.

Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg’s Imaging Center for Women has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR). The center is a partnership between Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg (RAF) and Mary Washington Healthcare. By awarding facilities the status of a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, the ACR recognizes breast imaging centers that have earned accreditation in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, and breast ultrasound (including ultrasound-guided breast biopsy). Peer-review evaluations, conducted in each breast imaging modality by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field, have determined that the Imaging Center for Women has achieved high practice standards in image quality, personnel qualifications, facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs. Ed Swager, CEO of RAF, stated that “Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg is honored that the long-standing collaboration between its specialty-trained women’s imaging physicians and the dedicated staff at the Imaging Center for Women has resulted in the Imaging Center for Women being the region’s only program to receive the American College of Radiology’s designation as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. Less than ten percent of all accredited mammography sites in Virginia receive this level of designation, and we believe it exemplifies the extraordinary level of care that we are all committed to providing to the patients in our community.”

VIVA (Virginia Interventional Vascular Associates) recently held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at their new facility in Fredericksburg, VA. The new 9200 square foot facility consists of a reception area, exam and procedure space. According to Chief Executive Officer, Ed Swager, the expansion to a new space was driven by the population growth in the region and by the new types of procedures that the group is doing. VIVA opened their doors in 2006 and is Fredericksburg's only interventional radiology practice. VIVA specializes in providing minimally invasive treatments that improve the lives of patients with a variety of medical conditions. VIVA also offers comprehensive vascular care, including vascular surgery services.

FREDERICKSBURG, VA, Sept. 19, 2011 — Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg is one of six radiology facilities highlighted in Imaging Economics‘ Best of 2011 Radiology Facilities issue, a national directory of imaging centers and radiology practices. In an article titled “Small Town Sensibility, Sophisticated Imaging,” the magazine noted that Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg, a partnership between Mary Washington Healthcare and Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg, “responded and planned for the region’s growth through investments in state-of-the-art imaging technology, dedicated, high-quality physicians, and superior customer service. Like the pairing of city and small town, Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg’s administration and clinicians work together to bring the technology and expertise found in major metropolitan areas and the personal attention found in smaller communities.” Ed Swager, CEO of Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg, commented, “Nationwide, there are more than 7,000 radiology facilities. We are proud that our partnership with Mary Washington Healthcare has created medical imaging centers recognized for their high quality and patient care. We appreciate the investment of our local healthcare system, physicians, and fine technical staff in achieving these goals.” Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg’s 31 radiologists are board certified, with advanced fellowship training representing all major subspecialties of radiology. Swager said the physicians interpret test results for an estimated 180,000 procedures annually at four Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg locations: Medical Imaging at Lee’s Hill, Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg on the Mary Washington Hospital campus, the Imaging Center for Women, and Medical Imaging of North Stafford. Imaging technologies at Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg facilities include the area’s only fixed PET/CT system, true Open MRI, high-field 3T MRI, and 4D ultrasound, Swager added. To read the whole article, click here.

FREDERICKSBURG, VA., Feb. 17, 2011 — Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg (RAF) has partnered with the Image Gently Campaign to increase awareness of opportunities to lower radiation dose when imaging children. Image Gently is an initiative of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging. “RAF radiologists and technologists have undergone additional training in ways to reduce radiation exposure, especially with CT scanning. We now have age and weight based CT protocols. This helps proportion the radiation dose when imaging children,” said Dr. Christopher M. Meyer, a radiologist partner of RAF who serves as medical director of radiology at Mary Washington Hospital and physician coordinator of the Image Gently Campaign. “These protocols are similar to those used at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and other leading children’s hospitals.” Prior to the weight based protocols, RAF implemented several programs aimed at decreasing radiation dose. Before this campaign, the radiologic technologists would manually decrease the dose based on less precise methods that are still followed by most imaging facilities today. RAF’s process is now a structured and automated formula. All four outpatient imaging centers of Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg, as well as imaging facilities at Mary Washington Hospital and Stafford Hospital, are participating in the Image Gently Campaign. Whenever a child enters any of these facilities, there is a coordinated effort by staff to image the child in the safest way possible while still providing the highest quality diagnostic studies. “This commitment to radiation safety goes beyond CT and crosses all modalities, including Xray and fluoroscopy,” Meyer added. “We want to assure the community that when they choose facilities served by RAF, they will be imaged in the safest way possible. We will continue to incorporate new technologies and practices as they arise, so we can provide the highest quality and safest imaging possible,” Meyer said. For more information about imaging safety protocols for children and adults, please visit www.imagingway.com/safety. About Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg (RAF) is the largest provider of medical imaging services in the Fredericksburg, Virginia, region, including Spotsylvania and Stafford counties. The group’s radiologists serve Mary Washington Hospital, Stafford Hospital, Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg, the Imaging Center for Women, Medical Imaging at Lee’s Hill, Medical Imaging of North Stafford, and Virginia Interventional & Vascular Associates. RAF’s board-certified, fellowship-trained physicians provide 24/7 on-site radiology coverage for referring physicians and patients, and are trained in all major radiology subspecialties. For more information, visit www.imagingway.com or call (540) 361-1000.