The Image Makers

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Hunched over the screen in a white medical coat is neuroradiologist Dr. David Winfield. He eyes the brain scan, moves it around and zooms in on it. With the eraser end of his pencil, he points to a puffed-up portion of an odd-looking, striped protrusion that looks a lot like the antennae of a bumblebee and says softly, “Aha.”

“That is an aneurysm,” he says. “Deadly if it isn’t treated. Luckily for this guy we found it in plenty of time. And look, he has another one on this side. Scary-looking, aren’t they? But we’ve spotted them before they could cause any trouble.”

No ordinary computer, this PC displays extraordinary and, at times, potentially life-saving images. Welcome to Radiological Associates of Sacramento, perhaps the foremost independent medical imaging center on earth. The equipment in this carefully appointed Midtown building is cutting edge, the most scientifically advanced diagnostic machinery available. The same level of expertise is true of the physicians, who also treat patients at the center (at Alhambra Boulevard and L Street), and are from places such as Princeton and Stanford.

UNDER THE RADAR

Unless you are one of the estimated 1 million patients who are seen annually at its facilities in the region owned and operated by Radiological Associates of Sacramento, it is likely that you know little about this remarkable company, which has 24 facilities. Physician-owned and understated in its approach to marketing, RAS has quietly gained worldwide stature.

“Our readers chose it as the No. 1 free-standing (non-hospital affiliated) medical imaging center in the United States,” says Andi Lucas, former editor of Medical Imaging Magazine in Los Angeles. “It deserves that ranking. These people are good at what they do, really good.”

RAS, which now boasts more than 950 employees, provides the greater Sacramento region with a broad array of diagnostic technologies, including magnetic resonance imaging, PET/CT scans, ultrasound and women’s imaging and diagnosis, along with computed tomography, interventional radiology, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, brachytherapy, vertebroplasty and gamma knife radiosurgery.

Primarily, RAS physicians diagnose disease, but they also provide direct therapy via the center’s seven radiation oncology (cancer treatment) centers. They treat breast and other types of cancers and are pioneering a new method of treating prostate cancer. The center also helps treat stroke and osteoporosis victims. RAS physicians specialize in vertebroplasty, a method of injecting acrylic bone cement into a spinal or hip fracture, often caused by osteoporosis. The cement quickly hardens and stabilizes the fracture, most often leaving the patient pain-free and ambulatory in less than 24 hours.

The bottom line is, RAS is a major force in today’s medical landscape. The company, which has centers in Roseville, Folsom, Davis, Carmichael and throughout the city, has deep roots in the Sacramento area. It was founded in 1917 by Dr. Harold Zimmerman, a pioneer in the field of radiology. He attracted attention when he introduced Sacramento’s first X-ray machine, and a number of other noted radiologists joined with him to form one of Northern California’s preeminent radiology practices.

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