Key takeaways
- Updated USPSTF guidelines added 20 million newly eligible women to a system already short on fellowship-trained breast imaging radiologists.
- Telehealth infrastructure has changed how radiologists work, making subspecialty coverage accessible regardless of geography or facility size.
- The right teleradiology partner supplies the compliance-ready reading environment, not just the physician.
The access problem is growing. In 2024, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its final breast cancer screening recommendation, advising average-risk women to begin screening every other year starting at the age of 40 rather than waiting until 50. This one change added an estimated 20 million newly eligible women to an already strained system where wait times are languishing. About 40 million mammograms are performed annually and where the pipeline of fellowship-trained breast imaging radiologists has not kept pace with demand.
For healthcare organizations managing women's imaging programs, the operational pressure is showing:
- Volumes are rising
- Turnaround time expectations remain high
- Staffing options are limited
How long has radiology been affected by long wait times?
The radiologist shortage is not a new development. The American College of Radiology identified it as a challenge affecting practices nationwide. Burnout, retirement timelines and limited capacity to train in subspecialties have reduced the pool of fellowship-trained breast imagers available for full-time placement at hospitals and other practices.
Research published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology found that the average turnaround times for imaging interpretation increased sharply from 2014 to 2023 for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. This reflects a system reaching its limits, even before the USPSTF expanded the eligible screening population.
This manifests downstream as longer wait times and gaps in after-hours or overflow coverage that places strain on healthcare staff.
How telehealth is changing the way radiologists work
Something has shifted in how radiologists think about their careers. A generation ago, radiology was almost entirely place-based: the radiologist belonged to the hospital, the reading room, the schedule. That is no longer the only feasible model for workforces.
RELATED: Remote radiology: how locum tenens delivers flexibility and financial security
Telehealth infrastructure has made it possible for fellowship-trained specialists to build practices that reflect how they actually want to work.
This achieves parity with other flexible workforce solutions, shifting to a model that fits the realities of facilities and clinicians alike. For women's imaging specifically, that shift matters.
Breast imaging radiologists who might have avoided a rural facility or a program with unpredictable volume are now reachable through a remote model. The geography that used to determine access no longer has to.
But flexibility alone does not solve the problem. A radiologist who can read from anywhere still needs the right environment to read from. That is where the infrastructure question comes in.
Why infrastructure is the missing piece for the radiology shortage
Teleradiology allows fellowship-trained breast imaging specialists to read from anywhere, but mammography is not standard radiology. MQSA and ACR requirements govern equipment calibration, quality control protocols, documentation and accreditation. Those requirements do not change because the radiologist is reading remotely.
A teleradiology solution that provides only physician coverage may leave the facility managing equipment procurement, calibration and compliance documentation on its own. That is a significant operational burden for teams already stretched thin and conversely slows down the speed advantage that teleradiology is intended to deliver.
Solutions that pair the radiologist with a compliant, calibrated reading environment change the equation. The facility gets subspecialty access without carrying the infrastructure weight.
"The geography that used to determine access no longer has to."
Solution checklist: What healthcare leaders should be asking
For organizations evaluating teleradiology options, the right questions are not just about cost per read. Healthcare leaders evaluating new solutions should ask:
- Does the solution include compliance documentation or does that fall on our team?
- Is the reading equipment calibrated to MQSA and ACR standards?
- Can coverage scale with the volume of our patient community, including after-hours needs?
- What is the credentialing and onboarding timeline for providers?
- What subspecialty depth does the radiologist pool represent?
The answers to these questions will reveal whether a partner is offering temporary coverage or a complete solution that ultimately shortens wait times for patients.
A women's imaging model that starts shortening coverage gaps out of the box
LT Telehealth, powered by LocumTenens.com, has built more than 2,500 custom telehealth programs across more than 60 medical specialties. Now the organization offers something no other locum tenens company provides: fellowship-trained breast imaging radiologists paired with company-supplied, compliance-ready remote workstations.
For women's imaging programs facing access gaps and wait times, this model is designed to move quickly without sacrificing the quality and compliance standards mammography demands.
Learn more about LT Telehealth's teleradiology model.
About the author
Dr. Pamela Ograbisz, DNP, FNP-BC
Vice President of Clinical Operations
With 20 years of experience in cardiothoracic surgery and internal medicine, she is passionate about delivering quality healthcare in a timely manner. Dr. Ograbisz is confident that telehealth programs are the key to improving health and the overall patient experience.
