Kelsey-Seybold Clinic's
mobile medical coach

Shared Imaging provides mobile imaging systems to Kelsey-Seybold Clinic for monthly fee

August 14, 2017
by Lauren Dubinsky, Senior Reporter
Shared Imaging recently entered a partnership with Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Houston, Texas to provide mobile imaging solutions on a subscription basis.

As part of this "functional service" business model, the clinic will have access to seven mobile medical coaches equipped with one PET/CT, three MR, and three CT systems. They will also receive clinical staffing, maintenance and service, and ongoing operational oversight.

"We are truly grateful for our relationship with Kelsey-Seybold," Dave Stewart, vice president of sales and marketing for Shared Imaging, told HCB News. "Kelsey-Seybold has fully embraced Shared Imaging's unique functional service model for diagnostic imaging, and has incorporated this approach into their innovative health care strategies resulting in the best possible patient care for their community."

In 2013, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic became the first organization to earn Accountable Care Organization Accreditation. It comprises 20 clinics with a staff of 400 physicians in 55 medical specialties, and cares for over 500,000 patients in the Greater Houston area.

The health care organization has a long-standing relationship with Shared Imaging that began in 2004. Their contractual agreement was recently extended, in which Shared Imaging owns the technology and provides it to Kelsey-Seybold for a monthly fee.

Through this model, the organization was able to upgrade all of its CT, MR and PET/CT systems provided by Shared Imaging after using the previous technology for less than three years.

For example, they upgraded their MR systems in the mobile units to match their fixed units. In addition, their updated CTs in the mobile units allow the radiologists to test out new imaging technologies.

John Lyle, vice president of operations at Kelsey-Seybold, explained that this allows them to bring high-end imaging closer to their patients without having to purchase an expensive fixed unit for each of their locations.

Shared Imaging will assume full responsibility for managing the technology throughout its life cycle and the duration of the partnership. That will allow Kelsey-Seybold to focus more on improving patient care.

"As our patient population changes, our demands and needs change, and Shared Imaging has been very receptive to adapting," Cathy Cunningham, manager of radiology services at Kelsey-Seybold, said in a statement. "Together, we have done many things to make the patient experience seamless."