Sawtelle-based radiology imaging center operator RadNet Inc. is expanding its international reach.

Earlier this month, RadNet announced it had acquired a 75% stake in London-based Heart & Lung Health, which has a network of more than 70 cardiothoracic radiologists throughout the United Kingdom. Heart & Lung Health provides reporting services for the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, as well as various hospitals and academic institutions.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

For the National Health Service, Heart & Lung Health provides lung cancer screening reporting services for the Targeted Lung Check Program, which screens patients who have smoked for lung cancer or other lung diseases. The program’s goal is to generate more than 1 million lung scans throughout England by 2026.

For RadNet, the stake acquisition serves two purposes: boosting its international business and broadening its service offerings to include population health screenings.
RadNet, which was founded in 1985, has become the largest stand-alone operator of diagnostic imaging centers in the U.S., rolling up a series of imaging practices in the key states of California, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and Florida. In recent years, RadNet has also negotiated joint venture agreements with radiology divisions at hospitals.

The company also has invested heavily in artificial intelligence research to improve and augment its imaging services. As part of this effort, in January, RadNet announced its first overseas foray with the acquisition of two Dutch companies focusing on artificial intelligence diagnostics for lung and cancer diseases: Aidence Holding and Quantnib.
With its purchase of Aidence, RadNet inherited the company’s work with Heart & Lung Health and Britain’s National Health Service which had been focused on screenings for large populations.

Howard Berger, RadNet’s chief executive, said this was a driving force behind the company’s acquisition of a stake in Heart & Lung Health.
“This is a very exciting transaction that furthers our objective of launching widespread population health screening programs,” Berger said in the acquisition announcement.

“Through deploying RadNet’s industry-leading Aidence (artificial intelligence) algorithms combined with Heart & Lung Health’s world-class cardiothoracic radiologist interpretation, we have an offering that can address the challenges of creating a cost-effective population health screening program in the U.K. and ultimately in the United States and other countries.”

Heart & Lung Health’s chief executive, Sam Hare, said RadNet’s experience incorporating artificial intelligence algorithms into its diagnostic screenings can improve the quality and scope of heart and lung screenings.

“RadNet’s experience in both AI and large-scale population health screening will transform the radiologist reporting experience through seamless digital integration of AI with subspecialist chest imaging expertise,” Hare said. “We are excited to partner with RadNet in providing a visionary approach to population-based screening that harnesses the power of AI with expert readers to deliver world-class diagnostic accuracy in lung cancer.”