Intermountain Healthcare begins outpatient imaging business

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Intermountain Healthcare is expanding into outpatient imaging with the launch of its new subsidiary Tellica Imaging.
The new spinout will function stand-alone imaging facilities that present each MRI and CT companies.
Intermountain is opening the initial a few Tellica Imaging facilities later on this 12 months in Ogden, West Valley City and Orem, Utah. As a lot of as five extra facilities are planned for 2022 with additional growth in subsequent years, in accordance to the announcement.
What is actually THE Influence?
Intermountain is pitching its new subsidiary as a way to improve individual expertise when lowering fees. It claims that companies offered by Tellica will be supplied at “flat-level rates that drop underneath the fees in normal healthcare facility-primarily based imaging options.”
Further more, the Salt Lake City-primarily based well being process claims Tellica will make imaging companies extra available to clients.
“Though healthcare facility-primarily based imaging companies stay an significant aspect of the care method, especially in unexpected emergency situations and when elaborate imaging companies are desired, a lot of clients like to access CT scan and MRI imaging companies in easy options closer to household,” Nannette Berensen, vice president and main functioning officer of Clinical Shared Products and services at Intermountain and interim main executive officer of Tellica Imaging, claimed in a assertion.
Payers also look to like outpatient imaging facilities around companies offered at hospitals as key insurers like Anthem, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare all have procedures to really encourage the use of outpatient facilities.
It truly is no marvel clients and payers alike go for standalone imaging facilities when companies rendered at a healthcare facility charge significantly extra. The nationwide typical of healthcare facility expenses for imaging companies tends to be two to a few situations greater than companies offered by standalone companies, in accordance to the Healthcare Financial Management Affiliation.
THE Much larger Craze
This announcement follows news that Intermountain is merging with SCL Overall health. Pending approvals, the merged entity will make use of extra than 58,000 caregivers, function 385 clinics throughout six states and supply well being insurance to about one particular million people today.
It also comes on the heels of Intermountain pausing all non-urgent surgical procedures and processes demanding healthcare facility admission in its trauma and group hospitals. The go arrived after a surge in COVID-19 scenarios that stretched its ICU staff members much too slim.
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