Spotlight on Radiology: OCM Providers Focused on Quality

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Since 1993, One Call Medical (OCM) has strived to develop and forster strong relationships within the diagnostic radiology community.  Today, we are proud of the imaging centers that have chosen to partner with our company -- many are leaders in the field of high-end radiology services, such as MRI and CT scans.

In addition to recruiting providers with the right clinical qualifications, we choose facilities that understand the needs of our workers’ compensation payers in terms of their need to control medical costs, expedite testing, and ensure prompt turnaround on medical reports. 

In this month’s issue, our providers share their philosophy in partnering with One Call Medical to deliver service and quality to the workers’ compensation industry.    

Partners Aligned on Quality & Service

"First and foremost, One Call Medical is known for its focus on quality. That’s the key way our organizations are aligned,” said Swapan Sen, Vice President of Health Diagnostics, Inc. “At our facility, we believe there are a number of important aspects to quality. One is service, which includes prompt scheduling of patients to perform their studies. Second, we ensure that we have a group of quality radiologists, who are highly skilled at interpreting studies.”

“Our facilities see approximately 35,000 patients a month,” said Rob Gontarek, Chief Operating Officer at Diagnostic Health Corporation. “OCM does a good job in helping us to manage the patients they refer to our organization.”

“We work closely with OCM, and in turn, OCM works closely with the workers’ compensation payer and case manager,” continued Gontarek. “In essence, OCM takes care of everything, handling the referral, scheduling, payment, and delivery of medical reports. OCM is efficient on its end, which enables us to be efficient and effective on our end. Together, we make sure patients are taken care of quickly and with a high level of service.”

“From a payer’s perspective, it may seem like an MRI is an MRI, but there are key differences among imaging centers,” said Michael Tuccio, Senior Vice President of New Business at Alliance HealthCare Services. “For example, some centers lack advanced technology. Payers must understand that differences in quality exist. By working with One Call Medical, they can be assured that they’re using providers—like ours—who are focused on quality.”

“At Alliance, we strive to provide a superior service at affordable rates. We have state-of-the-art equipment, which we properly calibrate and maintain. We have facilities in 45 states, which makes us an attractive option for providing prompt, convenient service to OCM’s large customer base,” said Tuccio.

“ From the workers’ compensation standpoint, the key focus is to get the patient healed and back to work as soon as possible,” said Gontarek; “When OCM calls our office with a referral, the patient is typically missing time from work. We schedule the patient the same day if possible.”

“I remind my staff why patients come to us,” said Sen. “We don’t fix medical problems. We are diagnosticians. A physician is waiting for our medical report and diagnostic information, so they can manage the patient’s treatment plan.”

“OCM may send us an injured employee with lower back pain,” continued Sen. “A number of things could be wrong. It could be a herniation or bulging, or maybe it’s just a muscle spasm. Each would be treated very differently. The key to making the right treatment decision is receiving accurate diagnostic information. We diagnose the study with the help of sub-specialty trained radiologists, and promptly provide that information via OCM to treating physicians, so they can administer the appropriate treatment.”

“In working with OCM on a workers’ compensation case, the goal is to get the employee back to work as quickly as possible,” said Sen. “Our organization understands this. Every patient is important to us, but in particular, workers’ compensation cases require a rapid response; they need a prompt diagnosis, so physicians can get to the crux of the problem, get employees treated and sent back to the workforce.”

“In working with OCM in workers’ compensation, we realize the system is very complex,” said Lee Turner, Chief Operating Officer at Ramapo Radiology Associates. “In this industry, we serve several constituents, including the injured patient, referring physician, and payer. All are equally important to us, and our goal is to exceed each of their expectations. This means having state-of-the-art imaging equipment and the best sub-specialty trained radiologists. Combine this with prompt report turnaround, and that’s what has enabled us to be successful in our partnership with OCM.”

“In order to meet payer needs, the most important thing for radiology providers—whether they’re seeing a cancer patient or an injured worker—is to deliver on the promise of quality,” said Tuccio. “Our goal is to offer nothing less than the highest standards of quality in terms of our service, turnaround on medical reports, and state-of-the-art equipment.” 

For more information on how to ensure that your organization is using “quality” diagnostic providers, please contact:

Bill Colacurcio
Phone: 973-316-3718
Email: bill_colacurcio@onecallmedical.com