Hackensack Radiology Group is a provider of diagnostic and interventional radiology services in northern Modern Jersey with 50 years of experience providing technologically advanced imaging services and high-quality patient care in convenient outpatient facilities. It offers a full range of imaging services, including PET, MRI, CT, mammography, ultrasound, X-ray and DEXA, as well as countless boutique niche tests.
PROBLEM
Several years ago, Hackensack Radiology began receiving requests from patients for full-body MRI screenings to detect cancer. The organization is committed to screening, including for breast cancer, lung cancer and coronary artery calcium, and was intrigued by this opportunity.
However, the whole body MRI screening is a daunting endeavor because it presents two main challenges, said Don Elting, chief operating officer at Hackensack Radiology Group.
“The first is the length of the protocol, because accurate cancer detection requires robust, multi-parameter, high-resolution imaging, which often takes a long time,” he explained. “The second element is appropriate management of results, because screening will inevitably lead to the detection of numerous results, some significant and others innocuous.
“Because we could not design a time-efficient, comprehensive full-body MRI protocol that met our high standards, and we did not have a reliable method to ensure proper treatment, we did not offer this service,” he continued. “Despite these challenges, given the increasing patient demand, it was clear that we needed to conduct further research.”
APPLICATION
Hackensack Radiology went on a search and found Ezra’s AI-powered full-body MRI technology. Ezra partners with radiology clinics such as Hackensack Radiology to enhance access to full-body MRI.
“One of the main challenges with whole-body MRI is the need to do both high-resolution imaging and short scan times,” Elting noted. “Typically, with MRI, there are always trade-offs between image quality and acquisition time. If you optimize for brief scan times, you often sacrifice quality.
“However, Ezra uses state-of-the-art, FDA-cleared, AI-based image enhancement technology to enable fast scanning while maintaining high image quality,” he continued. “This is facilitated by a comprehensive whole-body MRI protocol with a very short scan time of just 30 minutes.”
The second major challenge with whole-body MRI is result management.
“The main purpose of whole-body MRI screening is to detect cancer,” Elting explained. “However, screening can also detect numerous incidental findings that have variable significance. Confusion about the meaning of these findings can sometimes lead to unnecessary, costly testing.
“Ezra creates AI-powered medical reports that translate our radiologists’ findings into layman’s terms and triage results into clinical significance,” he added. “This promises to help patients understand the significance of potential malignancy and alleviate the anxiety associated with harmless accidental findings, thereby empowering patients and ensuring appropriate treatment.”
MEET THE CHALLENGE
All of the provider’s examinations are performed exclusively using 3T MRI, as opposed to MRI with a field strength of 1.5T or less. This ensures maximum signal and high-resolution imaging, which improves the sensitivity of cancer detection.
“All of our facilities are equipped with 3.0T MRI, and Ezra integrates seamlessly with our magnets to transmit protocols,” Elting said. “Then, before we began scanning patients, the vendor performed exacting quality assurance testing to ensure optimal signal-to-noise ratio.
“The vendor manages the scheduling, billing and monitoring of all of its patients,” he continued. “This reduces the administrative burden and increases the efficiency of our overall operations. Once a patient is scheduled at our facility, one of over 40 fellowship-trained board-certified radiologists oversees the scanning and interpretation of results, ensuring high clinical standards.”
RESULTS
Ezra is currently one of Hackensack Radiology’s most recommended.
“Since partnering in 2023, we have seen over 250 Ezra patients for full-body MRI scans, which has increased our clinic’s growth opportunities,” Elting said. “More importantly, the whole body MRI scans have helped us detect many cancers at an early stage, which has hopefully saved lives.
“The supplier has ensured that our customers’ demand for advanced technical healthcare solutions is met on a daily basis,” he continued. “Moreover, it has helped Hackensack Radiology maintain its position as a leading provider of cutting-edge imaging services in the Northeast, which creates ongoing business flywheel and traction in our core markets.”
ADVICE FOR OTHERS
“There is no doubt that we are experiencing a renaissance in the healthcare industry as preventive technologies such as full-body MRI scans, portable sleep monitors and continuous glucose monitors continue to gain mainstream popularity,” Elting said. “It’s clear that people want to have more control over their health as early as possible so that they can address health challenges if and when they arise.
“The ability to offer services that enable patients to continuously monitor for potential disease is a major competitive advantage in radiology. I encourage more health care providers to consider offering such services.”