Full-body MRI helps Hackensack Radiology Group increase quality and find growth opportunities
Hackensack Radiology Group is a provider of diagnostic and interventional radiology services in Northern New Jersey with a 50-year track record of providing technologically advanced imaging services and high-quality patient care in convenient outpatient centers. It offers the full range of imaging services, including PET, MRI, CT, mammography, ultrasound, X-rays and DEXA, as well as numerous boutique niche exams.
THE PROBLEM
A few years ago, Hackensack Radiology began receiving requests from patients for full-body MRI screening to detect cancer. The organization is committed to screening for breast cancer, lung cancer and coronary artery calcium, among other things, and was intrigued by this possibility.
However, full body MRI screening is a daunting undertaking because it presents two primary challenges, says Don Elting, director of operations at Hackensack Radiology Group.
“The first is protocol length, because accurate cancer detection requires robust, high-resolution multiparametric imaging, which is often time-consuming,” he explained. “The second is the proper management of results, as screening inevitably leads to the detection of numerous findings, some significant and others innocuous.
“Because we could not design a time-efficient, comprehensive whole-body MRI protocol that met our high standards, and we did not have a reliable method to ensure proper management, we did not offer this service,” he continued . “Despite these challenges, given the increasing demand from patients, it was clear that we needed to conduct further research.”
PROPOSAL
Hackensack Radiology went on the hunt and found vendor Ezra’s AI-powered whole-body MRI technology. Ezra works with radiology clinics such as Hackensack Radiology to increase access to whole-body MRI.
“A major challenge with whole-body MRI is the need for both high-resolution imaging and fast scan times,” Elting noted. ‘Normally with MRI there are always trade-offs between image quality and acquisition time. When you optimize fast scan times, you often sacrifice quality.
“However, Ezra uses FDA-cleared, state-of-the-art AI image enhancement to enable fast scan times while maintaining high image quality,” he continued. “This enables a comprehensive whole-body MRI protocol with very fast scan times of just 30 minutes.”
The second major challenge in whole-body MRI is controlling the results.
“The primary purpose of a whole-body MRI screening exam is to detect cancer,” Elting explains. “However, screening tests can also detect numerous incidental findings, which have varying significance. Confusion about the meaning of these findings can sometimes lead to unnecessarily expensive investigations.
“Ezra produces AI-enabled medical reports that translate our radiologists’ findings into layman’s terms and assess the findings in clinical significance,” he added. “This promises to help patients understand the significance of potential malignancies and reduce anxiety about innocuous incidental findings, thereby empowering patients and ensuring appropriate management.”
MEETING THE CHALLENGE
All supplier studies are performed exclusively on 3T MRI, as opposed to 1.5T or lower field strength MRI. This provides maximum signal and high-resolution imaging to improve sensitivity for cancer detection.
“All of our facilities have seamlessly integrated 3.0T MRI and Ezra with our magnets to upload protocols,” Elting reported. “The supplier then conducted rigorous quality testing to ensure optimal signal-to-noise ratios before we started scanning patients.
“The provider manages the scheduling, billing and follow-up for all of its patients,” he continued. “This reduces administrative burden and increases efficiency for our overall operations. Once a patient is scheduled at our location, one of our more than 40 board-certified, fellowship-trained radiologists oversees the scans and interpretation of the results, which guarantees high clinical standards.”
RESULTS
Ezra is now one of Hackensack Radiology’s top referrers.
“Since we began working together in 2023, we have seen more than 250 Ezra patients for full-body MRI scans, which has created additional growth opportunities for our clinic,” said Elting. “More importantly, the whole body MRI scans have helped us detect several forms of cancer at their early stages, hopefully saving lives.
“The supplier has ensured that our customers’ demand for high-quality technical healthcare solutions is met on a daily basis,” he continued. “Additionally, it has helped Hackensack Radiology maintain its position as the leading provider of advanced imaging services in the Northeast, creating a continued flywheel of business and traction in our core markets.”
ADVICE FOR OTHERS
“There is no doubt that we are in the midst of a healthcare renaissance as preventative technologies such as full-body MRI scans, wearable sleep trackers and continuous glucose monitors continue to gain traction among the mainstream,” Elting said. “It’s clear that people want more control over their health as quickly as possible, so they can deal head-on with health problems if and when they arise.
“Being able to offer a service like this, which allows patients to continuously monitor their potential diseases, is a major competitive advantage in the radiology world – and I would encourage more healthcare providers to consider offering these services.”
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