New Frontier Mobile Diagnostics ceased operations on October 31, 2023, but the need for increased access to diagnostic care still exists.
For people in underserved areas (both urban and rural), access to diagnostic imaging services is a critical indicator of community health. Diagnostic imaging is a required step before a patient can access specialty care, but it has largely been concentrated in hospitals, leading to high costs and long drives for care.
These barriers cause patients to delay imaging studies, while their condition continues to worsen. During the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, new heart disease diagnoses decreased 64% - not because of a miracle cure, but simply because people were too afraid to go to the hospital to get an echocardiogram. Numerous studies show that communities with a 20+ mile drive to access diagnostic imaging experience higher levels of hypertension, fetal mortality, and diabetes, and cancer is diagnosed at more advanced stages.
New Frontier was at the forefront of increasing access to imaging care, and we helped thousands of patients in Kansas and Missouri. Demand for our services continued to grow as we reached rural health departments, hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices, but we were unable to hire enough qualified sonographers to meet that demand. Rather than let service levels slip, we decided the best course was to close the company.
I hope that we raised awareness of the critical role that diagnostic imaging plays in patient care, and that new providers are able to bring this care to their patients. Everyone deserves access to quality diagnostic answers, regardless of race, gender, income, or zip code, and we need to continue to fight for health equity for all.
For my part, I will continue to work for solutions to support underserved patients in whatever role is next. On to the next chapter…
Jeff Blackwood