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Our History
Most adults can appreciate the achievements that have occurred in technology – from land-line telephones to cell phones, eight-track tapes to CDs, 35mm film to digital, black and white televisions to plasma screens, transistor radios to MP3 players – adding convenience and pleasure to a society that was quickly becoming more mobile. The technological achievements in health care however, specifically in radiology, have revolutionized medicine improving the quality and longevity of a person’s life. Radiology Associates of the Fox Valley, S.C. – Moves to Better Serve its Partners and Patients Radiology Associates of the Fox Valley, S.C. (RAFV) has moved to a new facility located at 333 North Commercial Street in Neenah, Wisconsin. “The move is a result of the rapid growth in radiologic technology and allows us to utilize the most advanced discoveries to better meet our clients’ needs and expand our services beyond our previous imagined capabilities,” said Monica Nichter, RN, MSN, Practice Manager. However, to put the true scope of the industry’s growth and technological advancements it may be helpful to provide an historical perspective both on the field of radiology and Radiology Associates of the Fox Valley, S.C. Radiology - The Beginning On November 8, 1895, an obscure German physicist, Professor Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, saw the unseeable. He could peer through solid objects and, for the first time, see the bones and internal organs of living people. Two months later, Roentgen disclosed his discovery of a mysterious kind of light, invisible but penetrating, passed through solid materials. The news traveled quickly and within in a year, without benefit of facsimile machines, e-mail, or the Internet, 49 books or pamphlets and 1,044 papers on x-rays were published. In 1896, the United States used x-rays for conditions such as bone fractures and gun shot wounds. The 20th Century was a period of rapid technological growth. The advancements in radiology were very expensive and coming so quickly it was difficult for many hospitals to keep up. During this period many FIRSTS were developed – an x-ray image intensifier, cardiac angiography system, magnetic resonance images (MRI), Doppler ultrasound device, digital imaging, dual multi-slice CT scanners, variable-angle triple-head gamma cameras, and Real-time spatial compound ultrasound imaging. The technological growth has been rapid and the specialty of radiology revolutionary. Now, more than a hundred years after Roentgen’s discovery refinements of x-ray technology and advancements in imaging methods are reshaping medicine and helping to enlighten physicians’ understanding and knowledge of the body’s inner-workings. BACK TO TOP Radiology Associates of the Fox Valley, S.C. Radiology Associates of the Fox Valley, S.C. has called Northeastern Wisconsin home since 1939. Over the years, these physicians have built a reputation as experts in providing the most innovative radiologic services. Their unmatched skills give them a highly prestigious professional reputation and their commitment to patient-focused care has garnered them many trusted partnerships with major health care providers in the Fox Cities and Oshkosh. Most recently, they have added St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac and Ripon Medical Center in Ripon to their impressive list of partners. Today, the RAFV team consists of 33 highly skilled radiologists, a practice manager and physician assistant. These renowned professionals have not only embraced the industry’s advanced technology – they have played an active role in creating it. Since 1939, when Samuel Richard Beatty, MD began his single radiology practice – which later became Radiology Associates of the Fox Valley, S.C. (RAFV) – RAFV has remained at the forefront of the technological revolution. Each new discovery required highly specialized training and, as the technology became available in the Fox Valley, Dr. Beatty began growing his practice to ensure his patients received the most advanced procedures performed by the highest trained professionals. His decision to expand his practice in order to keep up with the advancements strengthened his practice and furthered the radiological services to the community. By 1969, Dr. Beatty added five partners and incorporated his practice. In the late 1970s, in an effort to communicate their specialized field of medicine and geographic coverage capabilities, the name, Beatty and Associates, S.C. changed to Radiology Associates of the Fox Valley, S.C. Dr. Beatty had the unique ability to identify and facilitate improvements to provide the necessary advances to the medical and patient community. By 1990, RAFV had grown to more than 10 radiologists and, over the next 15 years tripled in size as the team’s reputation for service and innovative solutions gained widespread recognition. RAFV’s growth, both from the number of practitioners and clients served, exemplifies the business philosophy Dr. Beatty established in 1939. The RAFV client base has grown nearly as rapidly as the advancements in technology and, as partnerships develop, the group’s service and capabilities more comprehensive and sophisticated. “We’ve never settled on being an average radiology practice. It is a challenge to find new ways to provide services 24/7 and consistently deliver timely results with the level of quality upon which we insist. Finding those solutions is a big part of what we love about what we do,” said Forrest Bates, MD, past group vice-president, senior shareholder, and current member of the RAFV Executive Council. Today, more than 65 years later, RAFV is one of the largest radiology groups in the country. From the pioneer practice of Dr. Beatty to the present RAFV has carved out the position and status as one of the most innovative radiologic group practice in the country. Their dedication to the field and attention to the art of practicing their medicine – whether performing a general x-ray or a highly advanced interventional procedure – has earned them their place in the region, state, and nation. RAFV is abreast of the most technologically advanced techniques and equipment, provides a full range of radiology services – from general to interventional (IR), neuroradiology, digital (instant) imaging, and musculoskeletal – and offers state-of-the-art solutions to the hospital and clinic settings where they practice. Each radiologist is skilled and as accustomed to working in facilities using traditional film imaging, as they are with those using all-digital and picture archiving/retrieval capabilities. RAFV is available to read films from the area’s major hospitals 24 hours a day, 7 days per week and are on call for all client emergencies. RAFV physicians are dedicated to providing quality treatment and services. Each of its physician partners has met the rigorous standards of major medical and residency training programs, and each is board certified by the American Board of Radiology. Our excellent clinical skills are matched by our comprehensive, detailed approach to imaging. We have built our practice on the principle to treat each patient as a person – not just an image. BACK TO TOP Service Area The partnership relationships RAFV has earned over the years ensure patients of a seamless continuum of care. Currently RAFV physicians practice at the following locations: • Private practice in Neenah, WI • Calumet Medical Center, Chilton • Door County Memorial Hospital, Sturgeon Bay • Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh • New London Family Medical Center, New London • Riverside Medical Center, Waupaca • Ripon Medical Center, Ripon • St. Agnes Hospital, Fond du Lac • St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton • Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah RAFV’s geographic coverage is one of its unique features – covering an area of more than 100 miles north to south and more than 50 miles east to west. The group’s ability to provide digital imaging through its CentCom system opens up new opportunities for broadening its geographical reach. CentCom is cutting-edge technology that has allowed RAFV to change their partnership strategy, increase its geographic radius, and greatly enhance the group’s flexibility. Nichter said, “Now when our physicians who are at one of our partner facilities, becomes overloaded they can send their overflow, via this web-based system, somewhere else. It is responsive to our clients and their patients by improving our turnaround time.” In addition to being able to send the file off site, the contrast on these images can be manipulated for clearer detail. Images sent to CentCom by the team’s radiologists from client hospitals are received at the center’s sophisticated reading terminals by way of high-speed Internet connections. Secure, encrypted images are sent and received in a matter of seconds allowing the radiologist on staff to read, dictate and call the doctor or fax the results within minutes. Each digital image is stored as an individual file and transmitted to a radiologist via a web-based connection. The technology’s tight security features allow all transmissions to be in full compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) regulations. Our Commitment for the Future “At Radiology Associates we believe good service is a basic tenet of running a business; regardless of who we are in negotiations with we follow our mantra – it is all about how we treat people and the value, tangible and intangible, we deliver to these people,” said Dr. Bates. RAFV physicians have kept pace with technology; they have been on the forefront of some of the most revolutionary medical discoveries for more than 65 years and will continue to maintain their leadership position. Their involvement in local, regional, and national professional associations and willingness to expand their practice and partnerships helps define their leadership position and prepares them for the technology out on the horizon that will be tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs. The RAFV physicians and staff believe that technology enables them to reach farther into the community to facilitate diagnostic results and treatments faster than ever before. The human element, their attention to caring for their partnerships, clients and patients is what differentiates them from other group practices and gives them the greatest reward at the end of each day – client and patient trust and confidence. Today, 59 percent of the U.S. population receives imaging radiology services each year. Some of the most important and recent advances in medicine are occurring in the field of radiology. “As the technology advances and our geographic coverage grows, we will continue to follow Dr. Beatty’s example; we will expand and recruit physicians as technology, patient volume and new partnership opportunities require,” said Dr. Bates. Radiologic imaging is on the front line of the detection and diagnosis process – and it is in this technology where some of the most powerful medical achievements are occurring. Technology offering advanced imaging and new applications of older imaging techniques are offering completely new ways to diagnose diseases like cancer. New radiologic digital (instant) imaging offers enhanced, more accurate, and direct treatment applications and its ability to produce clear images of extremely small areas (of the human body) makes it possible for radiologists to go where they have never been able to go before. Radiology’s first 100 years turned medicine upside down. The next hundred years will see radiology turning medicine inside out. “Our new facility allows us to keep pace with the current technology and in anticipation of the advancements out on the horizon, will help us maintain our leadership position,” said Nichter. The team at RAFV has earned its prestigious reputation and pledges to look for ways to evolve, improve and grow with the ever-changing needs of its clients and the rapid advancements in technology. BACK TO TOP |
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