Smart Choice MRI Forges Relationship With Barrington Orthopedic Specialists - Assumes Operations of Its MRI Clinic

Unique collaboration demonstrates continued trend towards improved patient-centered care

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Dec 11, 2017, 14:03 ET

CHICAGO, Dec. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago-based Smart Choice MRI has closed a unique relationship with Barrington Orthopedic Specialists, a large orthopedic group with four clinics in the Chicago suburbs. The orthopedic group will turn over operations of its MRI facility in Bartlett to Smart Choice MRI, which will run the facility as a Smart Choice MRI clinic. The clinic will continue to serve as a primary facility for Barrington Orthopedic patients, while also serving patients with other healthcare providers. Smart Choice MRI will also build a new MRI suite featuring the latest technology in Barrington Orthopedics Specialists' Buffalo Grove location.

"This is the first time we have collaborated with a healthcare provider to take over operations of its MRI facility, and we couldn't be more excited," said Rick Anderson, chairman and chief executive officer of Smart Choice MRI. "This relationship is beneficial to everyone involved, especially the patient. It allows Barrington Orthopedic Specialists to focus on what they do best – providing compassionate, individualized orthopedic care – while allowing us to do what we do best – providing an exceptional MRI experience to every patient."

Smart Choice MRI is the first MRI provider in the country to offer high-quality magnetic resonance imaging to every patient with analysis by top radiologists from the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic for an all-inclusive, transparent fee of $600 or less, nearly $2,000 less than the industry average.

"For more than 35 years, Barrington Orthopedic Specialists has promised to provide every one of our patients with the dedicated, specialized care they need," said Ciro Cirrincione, M.D., president of Barrington Orthopedic Specialists, Ltd. "This relationship with Smart Choice MRI is another delivery on that promise, ensuring patients receive affordable, cutting-edge MRI services, which will help us better treat them and allow them to get back to their active lives more quickly."

While this type of collaboration with a healthcare provider is the first of its kind for Smart Choice MRI, the company also closed investments from a number of healthcare systems. To date, Smart Choice MRI has raised more than $24 million in capital investments led by hospital systems, including UCHealth, Edward-Elmhurst Health and Thedacare. In just a few years, the company has grown from two clinics in Wisconsin, to 17 locations across Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The company also plans to expand to several new states in 2018.

"This is a breakthrough in patient-centered care, which is a rapidly growing consumer demand in the healthcare industry," said Anderson. "As more healthcare systems look for ways to meet this demand, we expect our collaboration with Barrington Orthopedic Specialists to serve as a model for the industry."

Smart Choice MRI will take over operations of Barrington Orthopedics' Bartlett MRI suite on December 11. The facility's equipment will be upgraded to a state-of-the-art GE 1.5 Tesla MRI in February.

About Smart Choice MRI
Smart Choice MRI is the first MRI provider in the country to offer high-quality magnetic resonance imaging to every patient for an all-inclusive fee of $600 or less, which includes the cost of the scan as well as its interpretation by top radiologists. Smart Choice MRI is accredited by the American College of Radiology and is in network for most major insurers, including United Health Care, Anthem and Humana. Founded in Wisconsin, Smart Choice MRI recently moved its headquarters to Chicago. It currently has 17 locations in Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and will be expanding regionally and nationally over the next several years. For more information, visit Smart Choice MRI and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.