The business of radiology and the mission statement.

Practices with good management will outperform their peers and thrive in the future. This article is designed to expose and educate practicing radiologists to a powerful tool that can help design, create, and operate a business-oriented radiology practice. We introduce the mission statement as the most basic embodiment of business strategy. Mission statements and their derivatives are often at the heart of basic strategy formulations of successful organizations, yet they are rarely used effectively in radiology groups. There are differing approaches to the development of basic strategic statements, but careful and thoughtful attention to this formulation can provide worthwhile insight into an organization' s operations. Much of what is discussed is difficult or impossible to implement without the proper attitude and attributes in management. The help of trained outside professionals may even be required. Radiologists should embrace the concept of radiology as a business and move immediately to the next step: learning and applying modern business and management concepts to daily medical practice.