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During his medical training in the late 1990s and early 2000s, interventional radi- ology was a field that was expanding quickly and providing innovative alternatives to open surgery. Intrigued by that, he com- pleted fellowship training in interventional radiology at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. Afterward, he moved to Ohio to join RAC. "I was inspired by the unique relation- ships in RAC and in Aultman Hospital," Dr. Zaidi explains. "Aultman also had its own health insurance plan (AultCare), which was intriguing to me. RAC was very involved in leadership at the hospital and the health plan, and they were doing some unique and innovative things. And then my wife and I were really taken by this area of Northeast Ohio — its diversity and beauty, the four seasons and the family environment. So it was a combination of all of those things which drew us here." In addition to Aultman, RAC has contracts with Summa Barberton Hospital, Union Hospital in Dover, and Affinity Medical Center in Massillon to provide 24/7 radiology and interventional radiology services. RAC also supplies services to Atrium OB/GYN and Stark County Women's Clinic. "We have RAC providing the full range of radiology services, including internal nighthawk services. Nothing is sent out to another radiology group — even over- night," says Dr. Zaidi. "And then we have RadHelp, our consulting arm which helps hospitals and other radiology groups develop a co-management partnership to succeed in this era of healthcare reform." RadHelp and Co-management Like most innovative ideas, RadHelp evolved as a solution to a problem — how to deal with decreasing reimbursements, increasing regulations, and a move from volume-based to value-based service. "In 2011, our relationship w it h Aultman was wavering, despite RAC's high level of volume-driven service. And there was strife within our group about focusing on increasing volume versus providing consultative services to our referring physicians," Dr. Zaidi recalls. "It was time for a paradigm shift in co-management." The transition was not difficult, since Aultman, under the leadership of CEO Chris Remark, had previously imple- mented a co-management model with its employed cardiologists and independent oncologists. Strategic planning sessions between RAC and Aultman leadership helped align both organizations' goals and resulted in + Shared governance through which all departmental decisions, including purchasing equipment, staffing and making investments, would be made jointly between the hospital administra- tion and the radiologists + Pay-for-performance (a value-based payment model) for the radiologists + Patient-centered radiology services sup- ported via data mining for improved quality and outcomes "By partnering with Aultman for shared governance, we've been able to increase the service lines we offer, increase market share, increase engagement for The co-management model between Radiology Associates of Canton (RAC) and Aultman Hospital was so successful that RAC decided to launch RadHelp in 2013. RadHelp offers innovative co-management services and population management strategies to help radiology groups and hospitals form mutually beneficial partnerships to improve quality of care. Shown here is RadHelp's executive team with Aultman Hospital's CEO. (L-R) John Vizzuso, CEO of RAC and COO of RadHelp; Syed Zaidi, MD, President of RAC and CEO of RadHelp; Christopher Remark, CEO of Aultman Hospital; and Allen Rovner, MD, CMO of RadHelp. 2 0 1 5 M AY/J U N E ■ M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Cleveland/Akron/Canton | 7 PHOTO © SMITHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY, NORTH CANTON, OHIO