Booth Radiology

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Brief History of Booth Radiology

 

        Founded in 1948 as a hospital based practice, Booth Radiology’s outpatient imaging facility opened its doors in 1970 in the Kings Highway, West Deptford location. At the time, with 5 employees, only x-ray and mammography were available. Diagnostic ultrasound was added in 1979. In the 1980’s there was a rapid growth in the development of imaging techniques for medicine. These techniques crossed all subspecialty boundaries, and furthered patient diagnosis in neurology, surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, gynecology and other areas. In addition to obtaining new equipment, which permitted cross-sectional imaging—enabling doctors to see “slices” of the human anatomy-- Booth Radiology expanded its staff with highly trained personnel to perform and interpret the exams that were being performed. A CT scanner was added in 1986 and MRI was offered in 1988. In the subsequent two decades, both CT and MRI equipment and techniques were improved upon to offer faster scanners with sharper, higher resolution images and greater diagnostic accuracy. Later, open-bore MRI scanners were added in 1996 and 2008 (hi-field) and in 2010 (3 Tesla) to help those claustrophobic patients undergo the procedure without undue anxiety. Clinicians progressively have learned to rely more and more on cross-sectional imaging to diagnose illnesses and help treat their patients. Nuclear medicine imaging, using radioactive isotopes to image anatomy and physiologic processes, came on board at our Washington Township office in 1994. A mainstay in cancer diagnosis and treatment, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), was introduced in 2001and PET-CT followed in 2004.  It is widely recognized that medical imaging (e.g. CT, MRI, PET, ultrasound), along with sanitation, antibiotics, anesthesia, vaccines, has been one of the most important developments in medicine in the past 100 years. Radiologists and imaging technologists have served a vital role as part of the health care team.

     As Gloucester County expanded its population, Booth Radiology extended our operations. The Washington Township facility opened in1994 and the Red Bank MRI facility opened in 2003, as a joint effort with Underwood Memorial Hospital. We expanded more recently into neighboring Camden County with an office in Stratford, located just across the street from Kennedy Hospital.

   Initially, all scheduling was done on paper and reports were typed on a typewriter. The first computer system was installed in 1993. Automated billing to insurance companies was introduced in 1982. The radiology information system (RIS), enabling scheduling, reporting and integrated billing was first introduced in 2001. Booth installed its first Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) in 2004 and it was later upgraded to a web-based system in 2006. Newer developments include easy access for doctors to view images and reports from their computers (2006) or smart phones (implemented in 2012). All of this technology required specialization among office, clerical and billing personnel and many new job descriptions have been created over the years. An entire Information Technology department was added in 2002 and now consists of 5 full-time employees.

      Images were recorded on film for many years (and are still available, upon request) and we began the transition to complete digital recording of images in 2004 starting with CT, MRI and Ultrasound.  As the new equipment became much more expensive and more and more exams were being performed, government and private insurers sought to rein in spiraling costs. This led to a process known as pre-certification/preauthorization, requiring ordering physicians to obtain approval in advance to order these more expensive exams. This year, the diagnostic coding system to classify symptoms and disease conditions in order to obtain payment from insurers, has increased the number of codes from 13,000 to 68,000, making the jobs of our dedicated coding staff somewhat more complex.

       In its fifth decade of outpatient imaging, Booth Radiology has witnessed a whirlwind of technological innovation and increasing complexity of operations. However, from the very beginning, the practice has valued most highly the interaction among staff and patients. Our West Deptford office, initially a residential building, has been expanded on several occasions and now encompasses 20,287sq ft, but when a patient enters it still has the feel of visiting a friend’s home.  While our sophisticated imaging equipment and computers generate tremendous amounts of heat, we recognize that the most important characteristic of our practice is the warmth that patients experience when they make their appointment, come in for their exam, and prepare to leave the facility knowing that the staff, technologists and radiologists really do care about them, and that their tests results will be quickly and expertly reported to their clinicians.

Mark L Baum, M.D.

 

1948 Booth Radiology was founded as a hospital based practice

1970 Opened out-patient facility in West Deptford with 5 employees providing x-ray and mammography only

1986 Added a CT scanner

1988 Added MRI Services

1992 Added MRI Hi Field 1.5T

1993 Installed our first computer system

1994 Washington Township office opened with Nuclear Medicine Imaging

1996 Installed an Open Bore MRI

2001 PET Technology introduced at Washington Township office

2003 Implemented a Radiology Information System enabling scheduling, reporting, and integrated billing

2004 Red Bank/Woodbury MRI facility opened as a joint effort with Underwood Memorial Hospital

2006 PET/CT Services added, Digital recording of images begins for CT, MRI and Ultrasound, PACS - picture archiving and communication systems installed

2007 Opened fourth Booth Radiology location in Stratford

2010 3 Tesla MRI added to the Washington Township office

2012 PACS now available via smart phone technology