James Kieffer Mr. Kieffer earned his BBA from Notre Dame University in 1970 and MBA from Northeastern University in 1973. He interned at a Boston teaching hospital while completing his degree requirements. He joined Professional Management Services in 1973, a firm that pioneered much of the transition logistics enabling hospital-based radiology practices to develop independent income systems. Mr. Kieffer became a senior consultant and stockholder. Mr. Kieffer founded ProForma Financial Group, Inc. in 1981. The company continued to focus on management and consulting services to hospital-based physician groups, many of which are large private or academic practices. The major caseload pertains to practices that retain the firm to oversee selected financial issues that require specialized understanding of healthcare financing and cost of clinical services. Permanent client relationships evolve from specialized projects where Mr. Kieffer's unigue background in the hospital-based practice market attract referrals. All of these planning disiplines apply to medical practices in general; the major distinctions lie in the way payers compensate for clinical services. Mr. Kieffer's understanding of medical practice structure allows him to support the planning needs of a wide range of clinicians. He has been a regular contributor to DECISIONS IN IMAGING ECONOMICS, providing technical information concerning specific planning functions for radiology practices. He has been a faculty member of the American College of Radiology Managed Care Task Force, and speaker at regional and national meetings concerning the Radiologist's role in a managed care environment.