Diagnostic Imaging of Southbury asks state to allow second MRI, citing long waits and overcapacity

Diagnostic Imaging of Southbury LLC asked Connecticut’s Office of Health Strategy on April 8 for a certificate of need to add a 1.5 Tesla MRI at its Southbury facility, saying sustained overuse of its existing scanner has lengthened wait times and delayed diagnoses.

Hearing officer Alicia Novy opened the virtual proceeding and presided over testimony from facility manager Christopher Bollier and radiologists Dr. Jeffrey Manton and Dr. Howard Lee. The applicant’s attorney, Steven Cowherd, summarized the case in closing arguments and requested approval.

"In December 2024 our third-next-available contrast MRI appointment was 12 business days; by March it had increased to 14 business days," Christopher Bollier said, describing what he called a worsening access problem. He also told the panel that DIS performed in excess of 5,300 MRI scans in 2024 and that overall scanner utilization has been above 120 percent, well above the 85 percent utilization benchmark used in OHS reviews.

Dr. Jeffrey Manton emphasized the center’s quality credentials, saying Diagnostic Imaging of Southbury participates in American College of Radiology accreditations and registries and is one of the state’s accredited diagnostic imaging centers. "We participate in national registries and quality benchmarking that validate our staffing and processes," Manton said, arguing additional capacity would maintain timely, high-quality care.

Dr. Howard Lee described clinical trends that are increasing MRI demand, including wider use of breast and prostate MRI and growing pediatric scanning enabled by faster machines. He said the current single magnet’s overuse makes scheduling fragile: routine interruptions or urgent add-on cases often worsen delays and can prevent MRI-guided breast biopsies from being performed at the site.

Applicants described a technology the center uses, an FDA-authorized deep-learning reconstruction they called "swift MRI," that shortens scan times by reconstructing undersampled data. Bollier said the algorithm ‘‘can be upwards of 50 percent’’ in time reduction for some exams but added the reduction varies by body part and imaging parameters.

Counsel told the panel the application demonstrates that local supply is operating above the thresholds in the facilities and services plan and that adding a second magnet would reduce wait times and allow urgent cases and biopsy procedures to be done locally. In closing, attorney Steven Cowherd said the application shows a 120 percent utilization rate in the service area and referenced exhibit J, which the applicant said indicates a 130 percent service-area utilization.

OHS staff said they would take administrative notice of multiple statewide data sources, including the statewide health care facilities and services plan, hospital discharge and reporting data, and all-payer claims data. No members of the public spoke during the live hearing; Novy reminded listeners they could submit written comments to concomment@ct.gov within seven days.

The hearing officer allowed the applicant to file a late submission for exhibit J and issued an order setting an April 22, 2025, 4 p.m. deadline for that filing; the record remains open until OHS closes it. Novy adjourned the hearing at the panel’s conclusion; OHS will issue written findings and a decision after reviewing the full record.

Next steps: OHS will accept the late-filed exhibit J by the April 22 deadline, the record will remain open to permit that filing, and the agency will issue written findings and a decision after considering that material and the prefiled record.