It isn’t easy to hide
from a Radiologist.
Radiologists don’t let serious health problems stay hidden. By detecting issues early, they save Albertans’ lives.
What is Radiology?
When your doctor orders an X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, CT scan or mammogram, a Radiologist is the specialist who plans, supervises, and interprets your exam. They make the diagnosis and advise your doctor on the next steps for you. Radiologists also use image-guided techniques to perform procedures that treat conditions like chronic pain, cancer and aneurysms.
Before these techniques were available, doctors used things like exploratory surgery to investigate possible health problems. Radiologists uncover and treat serious health issues with higher accuracy, much less pain, risk and recovery time, and much greater speed. The way we expect modern healthcare to work depends on Radiologists’ expertise.
About Radiologists
- 487 Radiologists are licensed in our province by the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
- 6.5 million tests are handled by those Radiologists every year.
- 125+ community clinics make access to radiology fast and easy.
- 1 hour or less is the typical wait time for radiology results in Edmonton and Calgary emergency rooms.
- 14-15 years of post-secondary training is required to become a medical doctor (MD) specialized in Radiology.
Most Alberta Radiologists work in both community clinics and hospital settings. They are specialist consultants who are on call 24/7, working alongside Emergency doctors, Trauma Surgeons, and Intensive Care specialists in our hospitals, when and where Albertans need us most to make a quick and accurate diagnosis.
Albertans enjoy some of the best around-the-clock radiology service in Canada, provided by Radiologists who live and work here and know your doctors.
approximately 0 patient tests.
Community Radiology And Value For Albertans
When you need a medical imaging test, Alberta is one of the best places to be. With over 125 community radiology clinics across the province, access to radiology is fast and easy. Publicly funded services in these clinics include x-ray, ultrasound, mammograms, nuclear medicine, biopsies, image-guided pain management procedures, bone mineral density, and gastrointestinal fluoroscopy.
Quality Care
96% of patients are satisfied with their experience at a community radiology clinic, according to a recent survey by the Alberta Medical Association. The Radiologists who run these clinics take pride in providing the best patient experience possible, providing a high standard of service in a calm, welcoming environment.
Community clinics have highly qualified staff, state-of-the-art medical imaging equipment and computer systems that get your results where they need to go, quickly. Your Radiologist sends their report to the same health information network that hospitals and family medicine clinics use, ensuring that your GP or emergency room doctor can easily access the information they need after your test.
Access
Alberta Radiologists are committed to being available when and where their patients need them. Community clinics in our province perform 15,000 diagnostic imaging procedures every weekday, allowing a higher proportion of patients to receive their tests outside of hospital than any other region in Canada.
Patients don’t need to wait as long in a clinic as they would in a hospital, and clinics are conveniently located in patients’ own communities. Providing radiology in community clinics also frees up hospital resources, allowing Radiologists in hospitals to attend to the most urgent cases quickly and efficiently.
Radiology Billings and Overhead Costs
Community radiology clinics are funded the same way as your family doctor’s office. Your Radiologist owns and operates the clinic, assuming all related expenses: for example, these clinics provide good quality health care and technology jobs to 2400 Albertans. Your Radiologist bills Alberta Health Services a specific amount for each procedure, but then 70 to 74 per cent of these fees go straight back into the costs of running the clinic, such as staff and equipment. Like other business operators, the Radiologist is only paid what is left over after paying their expenses.
Staff
15-20 highly trained staff – like the technologist who administers your test – are needed for each Radiologist clinic. All of these staff, not just the Radiologist, are paid through that Radiologist’s billings.
Equipment
Office Space
Paying for rent, utilities, supplies and the upkeep of the facility is the Radiologist’s responsibility. Many clinics also absorb the cost of patient parking.
Maintenance
Billings for radiology represent the full cost of providing outpatient radiology in 125+ community clinics, plus some in-hospital radiology too.
Statement on Sunshine List
To our patients, colleagues and neighbours: With the inclusion of physician fees in Alberta’s “Sunshine List” release, Albertans may have questions about our compensation. Diagnostic
Who are Radiologists and how do they help patients?
Radiologists are doctors who play a key role in patient care. If you’ve undergone an exam or procedure using imaging, such as MRI, CT, ultrasound,
97% of Canadians agree that radiology is valuable in our healthcare system
Over nine in ten Canadians say the work of Radiologists in our healthcare system is valuable or somewhat valuable, and they are generally or somewhat
What does it cost to run a clinic?
MNP conducted a report on the overhead costs for Radiology practice in Alberta. Data was collected from individual Radiologists, and from the books of multiple