Having moved into new spacious offices a little more than a year ago, Dr. Victor Maldonado and the staff at Associated Radiologists of Oakland County are still getting acclimated to the surroundings.
‘The lack of space at the old offices was embarrassing,? said Maldonado. ‘Long gone are the days where people had to stand up and wait because all the chairs were taken in the waiting room.?
Aside from the creature comforts afforded to staff and patients in Associated Radiologists offices in the Independence Pointe Plaza (next to Mesquite Creek), added space has meant better treatment.
‘With our multi-slice CT scanner, we can do a scan of a brain in as fast as 20 seconds,? said Maldonado.
Associated Radiologists? list of state of the art technology is extensive and varied. On site there are two X-ray rooms, as well as bone densitometry, two ultrasound machines and two mammography units.
From the records room to the reception area, the office is outfitted with the latest computers to track patients? medical records and insurance information. But the real appeal of the technology at Associated Radiologists is the time and anxiety it saves the patients.
When a patient comes in for an X-ray or CT scan, the results are expeditiously uploaded to a heavily encrypted Picture Acquiring Computer System linked to thousands of doctors around the country.
‘A patient is referred to us for some testing. When we are finished testing, we can call their doctor and not only give them the report, but because of PACS their doctor will have a code with which he can access their X-rays from home,? said Maldonado. ‘The future of Radiology is digital and we are on the cutting edge.?
If Dr. Maldonado wants a second opinion, he can get one in minutes, rather than days, using PACS. Since they are affiliated with St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and a member of the Oakland Physicians Network Services, there are over 900 doctors to provide insight.
‘Another one of the key features of this practice is that we always have a doctor here. There is always a radiologist during any of the business hours available to the technician and to the patient; other practices don’t have a physician on staff at all times that’s trained to interpret these studies,? said Mary Slabinski. ‘We can accommodate patients for testing within 24 to 48 hours. At some of the bigger hospitals and practices, people have to wait much longer for a cat-scan.?
‘If a doctor refers a patient to us, we have a policy of less than 24 hours to get the printed report back to their office,? added Maldonado.
Encryption systems aside, the new offices also keep patients? information from being disseminated to the wrong eyes or ears.
‘A lot of offices are not totally enclosed in glass. That’s for the protection of the patients sitting in the waiting room so that no one can hear scheduling information,? said Slabinski.
All the procedures and data storing techniques at Associated Radiologists are in line or exceed the most stringent privacy regulations including those set forth in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).
The new spacious offices have also bolstered Associated Radiologists? interactions with their residential and medical neighbors
‘We have had excellent support from the community. It helps that we are not an island in this building, in which we are surrounded by an excellent group of physicians,? said Maldonado. ‘This is a solid group of physician practices, seventy five percent of the referrals which come to us come from other doctors in the building.?
Associated Radiologists of Oakland County, affiliated with St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, are located at 7210 Ortonville Road (M-15) in the Independence Pointe complex. Office hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-noon Saturday. Telephone is (248) 620-9199.