Brandon St. Amant, M.D., Chief, Department of Radiology, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
Relying on Intelerad’s reputation for superior, intuitive technology and world-class service, Radiology Associates adopts IntelePACS and InteleOne, leading to dramatically increased efficiency, higher service levels and success in attracting new clients.
About Radiology Associates, LLC
Continuing a 60-year legacy, the 21 physicians at Radiology Associates, LLC provide high-quality diagnostic imaging and intervention services to hospitals and a growing list of imaging center clients in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, metropolitan area.
New Revenue-Growth Strategy Prompts Technology Search
Traditionally, Radiology Associates’ primary revenue source was from serving a large local general medical and surgical hospital in the Baton Rouge area and its affiliated network. The practice enjoys a strong and mutually beneficial relationship; however, in the ever-evolving healthcare environment, the executives at Radiology Associates decided in 2011 it was time to expand the group’s ability to capture additional growth opportunities.
To accomplish this, the practice needed to adopt its own technology solutions. Identifying a PACS solution was the highest priority; Radiology Associates formed a PACS search committee to review vendors and solutions.
Key Criteria Include Functionality, Ease of Use, Access, and Customer Service
“We wanted a system with superior functionality, universal access from a variety of platforms, devices, and locations, as well as exceptional customer service,” says Brandon St. Amant, M.D., department of radiology chief at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and leader of the Radiology Associates PACS search committee.
Ease of use, simple implementation and exemplary customer service were critical to Radiology Associates, which does not have in-house IT resources. “We wanted a solution that could be plug-and-play on day one,” Dr. St. Amant explains. “We needed a vendor we could count on to support us in critical times.”
Intelerad’s Superior Service and Intuitive Technology Combine for Perfect Fit
The Radiology Associates search committee was highly impressed by the breadth and superior functionality of Intelerad’s distributed radiology solution offerings. Most importantly, existing customers rated Intelerad’s customer service level extremely high.
The practice adopted Intelerad’s IntelePACS, for seamless archiving, distributing, and secure sharing of images and reports. Radiology Associates also adopted InteleOne, a distributed solution that streamlines medical imaging workflows into a single, unified reading solution.
Intelerad’s commitment to customer service has distinguished the relationship from the beginning – even when, during the August 2012 roll-out, Hurricane Isaac made landfall in the region. Intelerad personnel traveled to and remained on-site in Baton Rouge, enduring the storm and ensuring a successful launch.
New Intelerad Infrastructure Immediately Delivers New Business
Dr. St. Amant is extremely pleased with the Intelerad solutions’ functionality and reliability, as well as the successful business growth that the technology is enabling. Within three months of going live with Intelerad solutions, the practice added three new clients – all of whom are delighted with Radiology Associates’ level of service.
“We have had other business opportunities come our way for a long time,” says Dr. St. Amant. “But we did not have the infrastructure to capitalize on them until now.”
Clients Impressed by Fast Delivery, Easy Access to Reports
The Intelerad solutions enable radiologists to read studies in a much more flexible, efficient, and timely manner. They can read studies from anywhere, leveraging Intelerad’s critical support for Mac, PC and mobile platforms.
Radiology Associates is better able to leverage and balance the manpower within the practice by creating shared worklists and streamlining workflow. The systems’ high reliability makes downtime a concern of the past.
Describing the reaction of a recent client, Dr. St. Amant says, “In the first two weeks, they were raving about the level of service that we deliver. They were amazed with the turnaround time, report delivery, and access to imaging and reports through Intelerad’s web portal.”
At another client, previously supported by a single radiologist reading on-site at a dedicated workstation, multiple, location-independent radiologists now read studies using InteleOne’s shared worklist. Radiology Associates now provides much faster turnaround, with more case-specific expertise, yielding better patient care and higher efficiency.
Technology Decision Ensures Continued Growth
Intelerad technology has empowered Radiology Associates to grow easily and successfully. Dr. St. Amant is very pleased with the immediate success, and he is confident that the new technology infrastructure will enable continued business growth.
“If you have network access, you can get a client on IntelePACS and be reading studies for them almost instantly,” he says. “It is literally that easy with the Intelerad solutions.”
August 06, 2024 
