The department of radiology at the University of Arizona (U of A) in Tucson has been placed in receivership due to financial problems, according to an article in the Arizona Daily Star.
The decision was initiated April 23 by University Physicians Healthcare (UPH), which manages the radiologists and contracts to provide radiology services to U of A's University Medical Center. A receivership council will vet all of the department's spending, according to the article, and will seek to cut costs, improve billing and collections systems, and increase workloads.
The department has been in turmoil since last year, when 15 radiologists threatened to walk out, complaining about low pay and high workloads; the resignations were avoided in December when UPH agreed to boost pay, the Daily Star reported on May 8.
According to Dr. Tim Hunter, the department's new head, the process of regaining a "positive financial condition" could take 12 to 18 months.
Representatives from UPH and U of A could not be reached for comment.
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