Cardiovascular Business - May/June 2008 - (Page 5)

first word Editorial C.P. Kaiser, Editor ckaiser@CardiovascularBusiness.com Mary C. tierney, Editorial director mtierney@trimedmedia.com Beth walsh, senior Editor bwalsh@trimedmedia.com Lisa fratt, features writer lfratt@trimedmedia.com Jonathan Batchelor, web Editor jbatchelor@trimedmedia.com Justine Cadet, News Editor jcadet@trimedmedia.com sarah Lamberti, Assistant News Editor slamberti@trimedmedia.com Editorial advisors: Georgann Bruski, rtr, Lrt, CVt Beth israel deaconess Medical Center Boston, Mass. Jeffery J. fine, Phd, Ms Cardiovascular Associates Kingsport, tenn. John o. Goodman J.o. Goodman & Associates Las Vegas, Nev. Christopher M. Nelson, rN, rCis, fsiCP sentara Healthcare Chesapeake, Va. ronald N. riner, Md the riner Group Naples, fla. william weintraub, Md Christiana Care Health system wilmington, del. intEractivE MEdia Amy Lizotte, interactive Media Manager alizotte@trimedmedia.com Jeff Hill, interactive Media developer jhill@trimedmedia.com art & dEsign Anne Bardsley, Art director salEs & MarkEting Pete detreville, Publisher pdetreville@CardiovascularBusiness.com Michael rahme, Account Manager mrahme@CardiovascularBusiness.com Nina Botelho, Marketing director nbotilho@trimedmedia.com adMinistration Jack spears, President & Group Publisher Kristen Bouthillier, Business Manager kbouthillier@trimedmedia.com Publication sErvicEs Editorial submissions & information Editor@CardiovascularBusiness.com Advertising, Media Kits & reprints sales@CardiovascularBusiness.com subscriptions & Back issues subs@CardiovascularBusiness.com Creative services & information Art@CardiovascularBusiness.com corPoratE officE 235 Promenade street, suite 455 Providence, rhode island 02908 tel. 401 383 5660 fax 401 383 3896 business complexity demands attention to detail C.P. Kaiser, Editor ckaiser@CardiovascularBusiness.com The intricacy of the business of medicine mandates that leaders pay attention to the smallest details of every aspect of cardiovascular treatment and care. While the articles in this issue span the gamut of cardiovascular imaging, informatics, and management, they have one thing in common: they drill down into the fundamentals of good business practices and sound financial planning. Gone are the days when vendor reps made deals with fifthlevel personnel based on a presumed need to replace a piece of equipment because of its years in service. Today, these decisions are made in concert with high- and mid-level executives, and each decision undergoes intense scrutiny. As you’ll read in our cover story, hospital CEOs will hold off making some purchasing decisions as long as they can, keeping a watchful eye on evolving technology—such as cardiac CT—even as the bricks and mortar are drying in their new heart centers. Being an early adopter of cutting-edge technology certainly has its advantages—you can be the first in your market to differentiate yourself. But it also has a downside—you can be left with an outdated piece of equipment as the technology evolves. In the case of cardiac CT, there are many more aspects that must be considered and we cover them all. Choosing the right options to pay for new technology also takes savvy. We explore the pros and cons of various financial arrangements, be they lease versus purchase or joint ventures. Each practice has to choose the right fit for its size, demographics and location. Information management systems purchases are elevating in frequency, undergoing close scrutiny from the top down. In this issue, you’ll learn some of the finer aspects involved in choosing an electronic health record, as well as how to successfully integrate digital echo images into your image management system. Finally, while a strong case can be made for the integration of cardiac CT into the cardiology practice, the same cannot be said as forcefully about SPECT/CT. Why? Reimbursement plays a big part, but another concern is the lack of outcomes data. How this will change in the near future remains to be seen. It’s one more aspect for you to be aware of as you sort through the complexities of offering modern cardiovascular care. CardiovascularBusiness.com Cardiovascular Business 5 http://CardiovascularBusiness.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cardiovascular Business - May/June 2008

Cardiovascular Business - May/June 2008 Contents First Word Cover Story - Coronary CTA: Drafting the Strategic Plan Financing New Technologies: Early Adopters, Lease vs. Purchase, and Joint Ventures Clinical Study Digest: ACE or ARB: It's Your Choice Can Off-Hour D2B Times Be Reduced Without Breaking the Bank? Digital Image Management Primer: Integrating Echo SPECT/CT for Cardiac Disease Detection: An Economic Conundrum Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise Connects IT Systems News & Views Calendar Reader's Resources The Back Page

Cardiovascular Business - May/June 2008

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