Donating money to a worthy cause is certainly admirable, and cancer research is assuredly a worthy cause. But when you send in your check or make a donation over the phone or online, how much of your money is actually going to help cancer patients?

Strategic Radiology (SR®) announced today that Radiology Associates of South Florida (RASF) will join the SR network of large, clinically advanced groups geographically dispersed throughout the US. With the addition of RASF, SR now comprises 16 leading radiology group practices, representing more than 1,000 radiologists dedicated to setting the standard for radiology excellence through quality care drawn from collaborative best practices.

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) accreditation process for advanced diagnostic imaging suppliers found that CMS did not establish adequate minimum national standards.

According to the American College of Radiology, an estimated 68 million Computed Tomography (CT) scans are performed in the United States each year. CT imaging makes it possible to see inside the body to help diagnose a variety of medical conditions, from determining if a child has a head injury from an accident during soccer practice to imaging the liver or kidneys to help physicians accurately diagnose disease.

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) won’t just materialize from thin air. They must be based on collaboration among physicians and hospitals, and supported by a robust infrastructure. This is a challenge that has not yet been resolved, according to Jeff Goldsmith, PhD, President of Health Futures and associate professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.

The price discrepancy between colonoscopies performed in the U.S. and exams in other countries is at the heart of escalating medical costs in the U.S., according to an article in the NY Times. Colonoscopies are over-performed and over-priced in the U.S., the author asserts. Read more at the link below.

Philips Healthcare will supply the Department of Defense with a digital imaging network PACS under a $88.5 million contract, according to a report from The Motley Fool.

GE Healthcare has signed an agreement to acquire Golden, Colo.-based Unisyn Medical Technologies, a diagnostic imaging products and services provider, according to Zacks Equity Research.