Nashville-based Company’s Eight Stereotactic Radiosurgery Centers Will Expand Alliance’s Market Share

US Radiosurgery, LLC, a fast-growing stereotactic radiosurgery provider based in Nashville, Tenn., has been acquired by Alliance Oncology, a division of Alliance HealthCare Services (NYSE: AIQ), officials announced today. The purchase price is expected to total approximately $53 million, which is comprised of $41 million in cash and $12 million in US Radiosurgery’s share of assumed debt.

US Radiosurgery operates eight stereotactic radiosurgery centers (including two stereotactic radiosurgery centers in unconsolidated joint ventures) in partnership with local hospitals and radiation oncologists in eight states, including Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Nevada and California. The company currently generates approximately $29 million in annual revenue.

Since its inception, US Radiosurgery has expanded its number of facilities, which have realized steady growth in case volume as well as increased revenue. Last year the company launched the Radiosurgical Research Institute, also headquartered in Nashville. This nonprofit clinical research organization examines and compares the effectiveness of various radiation treatment modalities in combating cancer.

Paul S. Viviano, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Alliance HealthCare Services, stated, “We are excited to announce Alliance Oncology’s acquisition of US Radiosurgery. US Radiosurgery is well known for its high quality stereotactic radiosurgery centers, and we look forward to leveraging its strong brand name, reputation and expertise in cancer treatment. In keeping with Alliance Oncology’s growth strategy, this acquisition significantly expands its nationwide footprint, and further enables the company to better meet the needs of cancer patients.”

Mr. Viviano added, “I am also very pleased to share that George Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of US Radiosurgery, will be joining the team. He will report directly to Alliance Oncology President Rick Hall to lead Alliance’s efforts to expand its presence in the stereotactic radiosurgery market even further. George brings more than two decades of healthcare industry experience, and he and his highly experienced management team have a proven record of success building and growing stereotactic radiosurgery centers.”

George Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of US Radiosurgery, stated, “I am very excited for US Radiosurgery to join the Alliance organization. The hard work and dedication of every member of the US Radiosurgery team, including our physician and hospital partners has created this opportunity for collaboration and expansion. Our combined resources and experience as well as our shared commitment to high quality, patient-centered care will enable us to provide exceptional service to our existing and future clients.”

US Radiosurgery was founded by Rock Morphis and David McClellan as a portfolio company of Heritage Group, a Nashville-based investment and advisory firm. Other principle shareholders of the company are Pamlico Capital, based in Charlotte, N.C. and Noro-Moseley, based in Atlanta, Ga. Mr. Morphis has served as Chairman of US Radiosurgery since the company was founded.

About US Radiosurgery

Based in Nashville, Tenn., US Radiosurgery is a market leader in developing and operating full-body radiosurgical centers in partnership with local healthcare providers. With over 75 years experience in partnering with physicians and hospitals, US Radiosurgery provides comprehensive expertise at every level beginning with development and market analysis to financing and legal structure, as well as ongoing management and daily operations of radiosurgical centers. More information is available at www.usradiosurgery.com.

US Radiosurgery is a portfolio company of Heritage Group LLC, a privately-held, Nashville, TN based investment and advisory firm focused on the strategic business and capital needs of early-stage healthcare companies. Other principle shareholders of the company are Pamlico Capital, based in Charlotte, N.C. and Noro-Moseley, based in Atlanta, Ga. More information is available at www.heritagegroupusa.com.

About Alliance HealthCare Services

Alliance HealthCare Services is a leading national provider of advanced outpatient diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy services based upon annual revenue and number of systems deployed. Alliance focuses on MRI, PET/CT and CT through its Imaging division and radiation therapy through its Oncology division. With more than 2,300 team members committed to providing exceptional patient care and exceeding customer expectations, Alliance provides quality clinical services for over 1,000 hospitals and other healthcare partners in 46 states. Alliance operates 535 diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy systems. The Company is the nation’s largest provider of advanced diagnostic mobile imaging services and one of the leading operators of fixed-site imaging centers, with 132 locations across the country. Alliance also operates 27 radiation therapy centers, providing state-of-the-art treatment and care for cancer patients. More information is available at www.alliancehealthcareservices-us.com.

Contact:
David Jarrard / 615-254-0575

Company welcomes 30-year veteran of health-care industry

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – US Radiosurgery, a leader in developing and operating full-body radiosurgical facilities, has named Cynthia A. Winker, a 30-year veteran of the health-care industry, as Executive Vice President of Operations.

Winker will oversee operations of all US Radiosurgery centers in: Boulder, CO; Chicago, IL; Columbus, OH; Philadelphia, PA; Reno, NV; Salt Lake City, UT; San Diego, CA; and Tulsa, OK. Her responsibilities include developing strategies for long-term growth and maintaining the company’s commitment to patient-care quality.

For the past 17 years, Winker managed and operated ambulatory surgery centers in partnership with physicians. From 1993 to 2005, she served as Vice President of Business Development and operations of AmSurg Corp., helping oversee the company’s growth from four surgery centers to 140, as well as its move from privately held to publically traded. From 2005 until 2009, Winker served as Chief Operating Officer for Bariatric Partners, a start-up ASC venture that partners with surgeons to build ambulatory surgery centers.

Winker’s experience includes nine years in nursing services and 10 years in the start-up and subsequent management of an IPA model HMO with John Deere Health Care Inc., a nationally known managed health-care provider.

Winker earned a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, a master’s from Northern Illinois University and a doctorate from the University of Tennessee.

Based in Nashville, TN, US Radiosurgery is a market leader in developing and operating full-body radiosurgical centers in partnership with local health-care providers. US Radiosurgery provides comprehensive expertise at every level beginning with development and market analysis to financing and legal documents, as well as ongoing management and daily operations of radiosurgical centers. More information is available at (615) 263-7888.

Contact:

Chris Gautreau
Zehnder Communications
225-448-0757
chrisg@z-comm.com

Florence Chassaignac
US Radiosurgery
615-263-7852
florence@usradiosurgery.com

Radiosurgical Research Institute to examine effectiveness of treatment methods.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (February 9, 2010) – US Radiosurgery, a leader in developing and operating full-body radiosurgical facilities in cooperation with community hospitals and physicians, has formed a new nonprofit clinical research organization that will examine and compare the effectiveness of various radiation treatment modalities in combating cancer.

With headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., the Radiosurgical Research Institute will initiate clinical studies and collect treatment data from radiosurgery centers throughout the country to establish best practices, increase patient educational resources and provide radiosurgery centers with more clinical data to improve treatment recommendations.

US Radiosurgery operates a number of cancer-treatment centers throughout the United States using stereotactic radiosurgical devices as well as conventional radiation therapy technologies. These various centers will provide the initial funding to establish the Radiosurgical Research Institute.

George Stevens, US Radiosurgery chief executive officer, says the institute was inspired by a comparatively small amount of research and funding dedicated to comparing the effectiveness of treatment modalities, including conventional surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, among others.

“Although hundreds of millions of dollars goes into cancer research, there is a relatively limited amount going toward treatment. Most goes to research for diagnosis and prevention, and is generated by academic-based facilities,” Stevens said. “We saw a need and an opportunity to build upon existing research programs using data available from our community-based radiosurgery centers and others who may be interested in participating.”

Renowned radiation oncologist Dr. Luther Brady, medical director of Philadelphia CyberKnife, will lead the Radiosurgical Research Institute’s clinical review board. Brady said that ultimately, the institute will expand well beyond US Radiosurgery.

“The institute will welcome physicians and researchers from all radiosurgery facilities, regardless of affiliations,” Dr. Brady said. “Our purpose is to generate the best clinical research and scientific study of radiosurgery possible for the benefit of cancer patients and their doctors.”

Based in Nashville, Tenn., US Radiosurgery is a market leader in developing and operating full-body radiosurgical centers in partnership with local health-care providers. With over 75 years experience in partnering with physicians and hospitals, US Radiosurgery provides comprehensive expertise at every level beginning with development and market analysis to financing and legal structure, as well as ongoing management and daily operations of radiosurgical centers. More information is available at www.usradiosurgery.com, or call (615) 263-7888.

Contact

Chris Gautreau
Zehnder Communications
225-448-0757
chrisg@z-comm.com

Florence Chassaignac
US Radiosurgery
615-263-7852
florence@usradiosurgery.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (January 6, 2010) – With a donation of $10,000, US Radiosurgery is leading the way in support of research and education in radiology. US Radiosurgery’s contribution to the Radiological Society of North America’s (RSNA) Research and Education Foundation will be used to fund research into the early detection and diagnosis of disease.

RSNA’s Exhibitors Circle donor program provides companies a vehicle for supporting radiology research. US Radiosurgery is one of the first radiation oncology focused corporations to participate in the R&E Foundation’s Exhibitors Circle Program.

“As a leading developer and operator of stereotactic radiosurgery centers, US Radiosurgery is committed to supporting scientific research in the best interest of quality patient care,” said Greg Spurlock, Chief Operating Officer of US Radiosurgery. “We believe in the work of the RSNA Research & Education Foundation and its impact on the continued growth and development in the field of radiology.”

“US Radiosurgery’s generosity will support research for new products, new technologies, new tools and new treatments that are waiting to be discovered. There is nothing more critical to the future of radiology than support for additional scientific inquiry now that ultimately results in improved patient care,” said Jack E. Price, Chair, RSNA R&E Foundation Board of Trustees.

Since its inception in 1984, the RSNA Research and Education Foundation has awarded nearly $30 million in grant support to over 750 investigators. Each dollar donated to the Research and Education Foundation typically results in an additional thirty dollars’ worth of grant awards from other research organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

US Radiosurgery is a market leader in developing and operating full-body radiosurgical centers of excellence in partnership with local healthcare providers. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, US Radiosurgery is made up of facilities across the country, including Rocky Mountain CyberKnife, Boulder Cancer Care, Philadelphia Cyberknife, Salt Lake Cyberknife, San Diego Radiosurgery, Oklahoma CyberKnife, Reno Cyberknife, and Cyberknife Center of Chicago. With a singular focus on radiosurgery, US Radiosurgery has developed a leading marketing and clinical operations program with a proven track record of securing significant local stereotactic radiosurgery market penetration while ensuring the delivery of exceptional patient care developed through medical collaboration and research driven protocols.

For more information visit www.usradiosurgery.com or contact:
Florence S. Chassaignac
US Radiosurgery
Director of Marketing
615-263-7852
florence@usradiosurgery.com

RSNA is an association of more than 44,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)

The RSNA Research and Education Foundation provides the research and development that keeps radiology in the forefront of medicine. (RSNA.org/Foundation)

Operational decisions ensure hospital and radiation oncology partners have latest technology, cost and time savings

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – US Radiosurgery, a leader in developing and operating full-body radiosurgical facilities, recently became the first stereotactic radiosurgery services company to use a new vault configuration to install the CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System in an existing gantry LINAC vault. The accomplishment is the latest in a string of pioneering breakthroughs, including the first in the world to install next-generation CyberKnife technology at its facility in Tulsa, Okla., and one of the first commercial installations of adaptive gating software on the Novalis Tx® at its radiosurgery center in San Diego.

Each accomplishment demonstrates US Radiosurgery’s commitment to ensure that its hospital and radiation oncology partners around the country capitalize on cost- and time-efficient infrastructure options and have the latest technology to treat cancer patients.

The new vault configuration for the CyberKnife Center of Chicago, which opened in August 2009 on the campus of Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare in Elmhurst, Ill., allowed the hospital to use existing treatment space and shielding, reducing installation costs. With a smaller footprint than standard vault layouts, the gantry LINAC vault at CyberKnife Center of Chicago saved the partnership between $500,000 and $1 million.

“Not only did we help our partners save money, but we also saved time,” said Greg Spurlock, chief operating officer of US Radiosurgery, managing partner of the CyberKnife Center of Chicago. “The construction took five weeks instead of the usual six months, which allowed operations to start much faster.”

US Radiosurgery’s installation of next-generation CyberKnife technology at Oklahoma CyberKnife in Tulsa marked the first and highest upgrade of any CyberKnife in the world, giving its partners at Hillcrest Medical Center an innovative edge in cancer treatment by providing technology that can administer a 33 percent higher radiation beam in less time and without incisions, sedation or recovery time.

San Diego Radiosurgery, a US Radiosurgery facility in partnership with Palomar Regional Medical Center, was the site of one of the first U.S. commercial installations of adaptive gating software for the Novalis Tx. Adaptive gating, which adjusts for regular respiratory movement during treatment with the Novalis Tx, increases tumor-targeting accuracy. The result is a more precise radiation beam and decreased damage to normal tissue.

Spurlock says each milestone is part of US Radiosurgery’s commitment to offering health-care providers leading-edge, cost-effective options for developing and managing stereotactic radiosurgergy services.

“Our team prides itself on providing our hospital and radiation oncology partners with support and solutions that help their bottom lines and solidify leading positions in cancer care within their communities,” said Spurlock. “Each of these projects exhibits our efforts to accomplish this goal.”

US Radiosurgery is a market leader in developing and operating full-body radiosurgical centers in partnership with local health-care providers. With over 75 years experience in partnering with physicians and hospitals, US Radiosurgery provides comprehensive expertise at every level beginning with development and market analysis to financing and legal documents as well as the ongoing management and daily operations of radiosurgical centers. The company’s headquarters are in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit www.usradiosurgery.com or call (615) 263-7888.

Contact:
Chris Gautreau
Zehnder Communications
225-448-0757
chrisg@z-comm.com

Florence Chassaignac
US Radiosurgery
615-263-7852
florence@usradiosurgery.com

Nashville, TN (May 20, 2009) – US Radiosurgery is pleased to announce a new CyberKnife® center that is currently under construction and will be opening in a few months. CyberKnife Center of Chicago is a partnership between US Radiosurgery, Elmhurst Memorial Hospital and Nuclear Radiation Oncology. The CyberKnife center will be located on the campus of Elmhurst Memorial Hospital in DuPage County, Illinois, and will service the entire greater Chicago area of approximately 9.5 million people.

The $6 million project involves the use of a CyberKnife machine to administer stereotactic radiosurgery, a combination of robotics and computer-aided technology to deliver a highpowered dose of radiation to the tumor site. The CyberKnife is the only radiation delivery system that constantly tracks the location of the tumor and, with its sub-millimeter accuracy, the CyberKnife is able to spare surrounding healthy tissue from damage in the process. If the patient moves during treatment, the CyberKnife automatically detects and compensates for the change, further ensuring that only the target tumor location is reached during treatment. The patient will be able to leave the facility immediately following the procedure. There is no incision, no pain and no recovery time.

The machine at CyberKnife Center of Chicago will be the most advanced form of the CyberKnife in the entire Chicago area. The CyberKnife 8.0 is a new generation machine that has a higher energy source than previously installed machines which allows for enhanced dose calculations and planning. It also includes an iris collimator that allows greater flexibility of the beam dimensions which ultimately reduces treatment time and allows for greater protection of the normal tissues.

A radiation oncologist, in collaboration with a surgeon, will administer the treatment. CyberKnife Center of Chicago will begin treating patients in the third quarter of 2009.

For more information, contact Florence Chassaignac or visit www.usradiosurgery.com.

US Radiosurgery establishes partnerships with physicians and hospitals to develop and manage stereotactic radiosurgery services (SRS) in communities across the country. US Radiosurgery’s founders have over 75 years of combined experience in partnering with physicians and hospitals. The company’s corporate offices are located in Nashville, TN.

CONTACTS:
Florence Chassaignac
US Radiosurgery
Director of Marketing
Phone: 615-263-7852
florence@usradiosurgery.com

Nashville, TN (December 8, 2008) – US Radiosurgery, a leading developer and operator of stereotactic radiosurgery centers, has announced the appointment of George Stevens as its new Chief Executive Officer. Stevens succeeds Rock Morphis, who will become the company’s Chairman.

“George Stevens’ experience and leadership skills will allow us to accelerate our growth and take the company to the next level,” says Morphis. “He brings more than two decades of building successful healthcare delivery systems in partnership with physicians and hospitals and has a unique combination of strategic and analytic abilities that will be a strong addition to our team.”

Stevens says, “The radiosurgery market in the US is rapidly growing with the creation of new technologies and continued expansion of applications in the body. US Radiosurgery has defined the business model for success in the cancer treatment space. I look forward to working with the team to develop the company’s growth opportunities and expand our services to more communities across the country.”

Stevens has over twenty years experience in provider and payer relationships in the United States. Prior to joining US Radiosurgery, George served as Senior Vice President for Surgis, an ambulatory surgical company, which merged with United Surgical Partners, Inc. after developing and acquiring twenty-seven ambulatory surgery centers in fourteen states. Previously, Stevens worked in the financing and government program administration of healthcare with insurers FHP and Aetna and served as Regional Vice President of North American Medical Management’s western region where he oversaw the direct delivery and expansion of the company’s IPA delivery systems, business development, mergers and acquisitions.

For more information, contact Florence Chassaignac or visit www.usradiosurgery.com.

US Radiosurgery establishes partnerships with physicians and hospitals to develop and manage stereotactic radiosurgery services (SRS) in communities across the country. US Radiosurgery’s founders have over 75 years of combined experience in partnering with physicians and hospitals. The company’s corporate offices are located in Nashville, TN.

CONTACTS:
Florence Chassaignac
US Radiosurgery
Director of Marketing
Phone: 615-263-7852
florence@usradiosurgery.com

Nashville, TN (November 3, 2008)- US Radiosurgery has announced the launch of its USR Remote Planning Platform, a remote connection tool enabling US Radiosurgery centers and affiliated physicians the ability to plan cancer treatments directly from the physician’s office, hospital or other remote locations; thereby maximizing physician time and efficiency as well as improving throughput to the centers. The technology utilizes secure 256-bit encryption providing maximum protection of patient data. This tool solves an identified barrier to surgeon adoption of the SRS technology by streamlining the process for involvement. Physicians who work actively with the center are trained by US Radiosurgery in the use of the planning tools and contouring of tumors and are offered ongoing support with the technology to ensure continued success.

For more information, contact Florence Chassaignac or visit www.usradiosurgery.com.

US Radiosurgery establishes partnerships with physicians and hospitals to develop and manage stereotactic radiosurgery services (SRS) in communities across the country. US Radiosurgery’s founders have over 75 years of combined experience in partnering with physicians and hospitals. The company’s corporate offices are located in Nashville, TN.

CONTACTS:
Florence Chassaignac
US Radiosurgery
Director of Marketing
Phone: 615-263-7852
florence@usradiosurgery.com

Advancements in Treatment Planning and Delivery Enable CyberKnife Centers to Fulfill Increasing Demand for Radiosurgery

SUNNYVALE, Calif., September 22, 2008 – Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced today that Oklahoma CyberKnife LLC, which is operated in partnership with US Radiosurgery, has dramatically reduced treatment planning and delivery times over the last two months with installation of the next generation CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System. Overall treatment times have decreased an average of 50 percent compared to those treatments done at other US Radiosurgery facilities around the country, which have earlier models of the CyberKnife System.

In their first 8 weeks of treatment Oklahoma CyberKnife completed more than 50 total treatments, including patients with cancer of the prostate, lung, brain, spine and kidney. An example of the dramatic decrease in treatment time is the Center’s recent prostate cancer treatment, which was completed in less than 40 minutes. Other US Radiosurgery facilities, which include Boulder, Colo., Philadelphia and Salt Lake City, are treating prostate cancer in approximately 75 minutes using the earlier model CyberKnife System.

“The next generation CyberKnife System incorporates a number of new features that enhance treatment planning and result in faster treatment times,” said Diane Heaton, M.D., medical director at Oklahoma CyberKnife, which was the first facility in the world to install the upgraded technology. “With these advanced tools, I believe we will progress to the point of doing 10-15 CyberKnife treatments a day.”

The next generation CyberKnife System installed at Oklahoma CyberKnife incorporates a number of sophisticated technologies to achieve a considerable reduction in treatment times, including:

• Sequential Optimization Planning Tool – enables treatment plans to be developed in as little as 15 minutes.
• 800 Monitor Unit/Minute Linear Accelerator – delivers higher doses of radiation to tumors, resulting in treatment times that are up to 30 percent faster than previous systems.
• Iris™ Variable Aperture Collimator – enables very conformal, multi-collimator treatments to be rapidly delivered to even the most complex targets.
• Optimized Path Traversal – supports more efficient robotic motion by allowing the CyberKnife System to skip over nodes where radiation dose is not being delivered.

“Even after just two months, it is clear that the improvements made to the CyberKnife System will enable us to increase the number of patients we expect to treat at our Oklahoma facility,” said Greg Spurlock, chief operating officer of US Radiosurgery. “The next generation CyberKnife System is making such a significant, positive impact on our business model and the efficacy of our Oklahoma facility that we are considering upgrading the CyberKnife Systems at some of our busiest centers in order to better meet demand.”

The average CyberKnife treatment is completed in 3 outpatient visits. Compared to the 40 outpatient visits commonplace with conventional radiation therapy, the next generation CyberKnife System can significantly ease the burden on both patients and providers by offering a nearly 60 percent reduction in total treatment time.

In addition to Oklahoma CyberKnife, which opened in July 2008, US Radiosurgery is installing another next generation CyberKnife System in a new Reno, Nev., facility that is expected to open within the next month.

About the CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System
The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is the world’s only robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat tumors anywhere in the body non-invasively. Using continual image guidance technology and computer controlled robotic mobility, the CyberKnife System automatically tracks, detects and corrects for tumor and patient movement in real-time throughout the treatment. This enables the CyberKnife System to deliver high-dose radiation with pinpoint precision, which minimizes damage to surrounding healthy tissue and eliminates the need for invasive head or body stabilization frames.

About Accuray
Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is a global leader in the field of radiosurgery dedicated to providing an improved quality of life and a non-surgical treatment option for those diagnosed with cancer. Accuray develops and markets the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System, which extends the benefits of radiosurgery to include extracranial tumors, including those in the spine, lung, prostate, liver and pancreas. To date, the CyberKnife System has been used to treat more than 50,000 patients worldwide and currently more than 140 Systems have been installed in leading hospitals in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.accuray.com.

CONTACTS:
Susan Lehman
Rockpoint Public Relations
+1 (510) 832-6006
susan@rockpointpr.com

Stephanie Tomei
Manager, Public Relations
+1 (408) 789-4234
stomei@accuray.com

Stereotactic radiosurgery is not new to medicine despite its recent growth and the attention it has received. Since the initial inception of the idea, the technology has evolved from a solely intracranial application with the Gamma Knife® to the newer extracranial versions with machines such as the CyberKnife® and the Novalis Tx™. This type of high dose, extremely targeted radiation initially became the standard of care for the neurosurgery community as they saw tremendous success with intracranial treatments. This initial success led the medical community to work toward similar treatments for extracranial indications. Fortunately, with advances in imaging and image guidance, physicians are now able to use this technology throughout the body as they track tumors that move and target them with such precision and accuracy that they are able to safely treat tumors near critical structures. With the evolution of the technology the population of patients that can be treated with stereotactic radiosurgery has grown exponentially.

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