MDNews - Minnesota

+++++++++++++++ + + +++++++++++++++ IMAGING +++ +++ IN THE EVER-CHANGING WORLD OF HEALTH CARE TECHNOLOGY, IT TAKES MORE THAN SKILLED PHYSICIANS TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL PRACTICE. AT CONSULTING RADIOLOGISTS, LTD. (CRL), PHYSICIANS COMBINE CLINICAL EXCELLENCE WITH LEADING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS THAT REACHES FAR BEYOND THE TWIN CITIES' LIMITS. Making Pictures Talk T HE ROOTS OF CRL date back to 1929. Originally a mod- est, two-physician practice, CRL now employs more than 70 board-certified radiologists covering every imaging subspecialty from cardiac computed tomogra- phy (CT) to interventional neuroradiology. As a physician-owned organization, CRL has been proactive in keeping abreast of the latest equipment and health care information technologies. That initiative has not only kept the practice afloat in the sea of unfolding health care reform, it has also been vital to other hospitals, physician groups and patients across the Midwest. Equipping the Midwest Within the past few years, CRL has seen a tremendous expan- sion of imaging capabilities. One major area of advancement has been in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which has progressed past the ability to capture static images of the brain to a more dynamic view of the brain's behavior. "Traditionally, MRI has only been able to map the anatomy of the brain, but we are beginning to use advanced equipment that images the physiology and function of the brain, as well," says Mark Oswood, M.D., Ph.D., Section Chief of Neuroradiology at CRL. "Our neuroradiologists apply this technique to capture blood flow and metabolic activity, which can aid in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke and brain tumors." "We recently had a blind patient whose brain function we were able to map simply by reading him or her a story," Dr. Oswood notes. "Capturing that form of functional response wouldn't have been possible without the equipment we have." CRL has also led the next generation of imaging in the form of intraoperative MRI to Abbott Northwestern Hospital, the largest of CRL's more than 80 partner facilities. This form of MRI allows CRL radiologists in the hospital's imaging department to use MRI in real time during neurosurgery. Abbott Northwestern Hospital was the first to bring this advanced imaging modality to the Twin Cities in 2008. Since then, CRL radiologists have participated in more than 500 surgeries using intraoperative MRI. Abbott Northwestern Hospital also features dual energy CT, which uses two X-ray sources and two detectors simultaneously to achieve twice the speed and resolution of a standard CT scan while lowering radiation dosage. "We've been keeping Abbott Northwestern Hospital ahead of the curve since they invested in a 3.0-Tesla MRI in 2004," says Neeraj Chepuri, M.D., Neuroradiologist, President and CEO at CRL. "As a consulting group owned and operated by radiologists, we know how to keep our partner facilities up to date on the latest advances." Raising the Bar in Rural Areas The geographical scope of their practice has ballooned thanks in part to CRL's RapidResponse program, a teleradiology network that transmits images and information from CRL's data center in St. Paul to hospital partners and referring radiologists all throughout Minnesota, Western Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas. "Our teleradiology network allows us to send and receive images to and from any imaging facility in a truly digital format," Dr. Oswood says. "Patients in outlying areas who don't have access to large medical centers can still benefit from the most advanced diagnostic imaging within any subspecialty of care." RapidResponse begins with DICOM software, which compresses images so they can be quickly and efficiently stored in CRL's picture archiving and communication system. The Consulting Radiologists Teleradiology Information System (CRTIS), referred to colloquially as "Curtis," allows patient data to be transmitted, catalogued and prioritized along with

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