Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Big news is breaking in radiology, as one of the field's largest vendors -- Siemens Healthineers -- is set to go it alone as an independent company.
In an announcement made earlier today in Germany, executives with the vendor's parent company, Siemens AG, said the health business will be spun off as an independent, publicly traded company. It's not a complete surprise, as the parent company two years ago implemented a restructuring plan that began separating Siemens Healthineers into a separately managed entity -- laying the groundwork for a final spinoff, according to some industry observers.
Even on its own, Siemens Healthineers will be a massive company, with annual revenue close to $15 billion and operating profit in the range of $2.5 billion. Executives believe the spinoff will make it more flexible and able to pursue developing trends in the healthcare industry. Read more by clicking here.
What does the election mean for radiology?
Yesterday's election of Donald Trump as U.S. president was a stunning development that reverberated around the world. Perhaps no industry will be as affected by a Trump administration as healthcare, which has been the scene of bruising fights over the past eight years with respect to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
How will radiology be impacted by the Trump administration? That question is addressed in a new column by James Hamilton, president of the board of directors of the Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA). Mr. Hamilton noted that Mr. Trump is something of a wild card given his lack of a legislative track record, but he has pledged to repeal and replace the ACA -- and he has the support in Congress to do it, given the Republicans' control of both the Senate and House of Representatives.
But there are a number of issues beyond the ACA that will affect radiology, as well as many other elected representatives who will influence radiology's legislative agenda going forward. Get the RBMA's take on the 2016 election by clicking here, or visit our Imaging Leaders Community at leaders.auntminnie.com.
Your Neighborhood Radiologist
Finally, we're pleased to bring you the first column in an ongoing series by Dr. Neal Klitsch, who has launched a new blog and website called the Neighborhood Radiologist. Dr. Klitsch's goal is to demystify radiology for patients and referring physicians, and we hope you appreciate his contributions. His first column is on the language of the chest x-ray: Check it out by clicking here.
