Dear Imaging Center Radiology Insider,
For administrators hoping to increase their staff of radiologists, or fill an empty slot in the lineup, finding qualified candidates can be more trouble than a medieval search for the Holy Grail. But unfortunately, there's no Monty Python to provide comic relief to the quest; just endless hours spent tracking down and securing top talent that can vanish like a morning mist.
How did radiology find itself in such dire straits? One school of thought holds managed care responsible; another blames Medicare. Still others pin the responsibility on defensive medicine, as referring physicians order more tests to back up their treatment decisions, resulting in procedure-volume growth that outstrips the current supply of radiologists.
It’s almost certainly a combination of these factors, along with numerous others, that have contributed to the current staffing crisis. The demise of radiology residency programs throughout the 1990s, the explosion in the use of MRI, and a graying of the U.S. radiologist population have all played their part, too, in reducing the pool of working radiologists.
In an Imaging Center Radiology Insider Exclusive, recruiting expert Daniel R. Corbett examines the long sequence of events that contributed to the current state of affairs. Although the near-term landscape looks bleak, there are steps a facility can take to maximize output of its current professional staff, as well as recruit and retain radiologists, according to Corbett. To learn more about Corbett’s analysis and suggestions, go here.
If you have a comment or story to share about any aspect of the practice of radiology, please contact me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.
