CASE STUDY:
How i3 Radiology Launched Two Sites on Karisma Without Losing Momentum
i3 Imaging and Interventional opened as a new radiology provider on Karisma, the Radiology Information System from Kestral. Partway through implementation, the project grew to include a second site, Sanctuary Point Ultrasound, along with My Health Record integration and Assignment of Benefits functionality. Both sites went live on schedule.
The Challenge
Opening a new radiology practice means coordinating IT providers, accreditation consultants, equipment vendors, and clinical staff, all while choosing and implementing a RIS platform. i3 Radiology took this on with a clear priority: a system and a partner that would let them focus on patients rather than software.
Partway through the project, the scope expanded. Sanctuary Point Ultrasound joined the implementation, a site that was not part of the original plan. My Health Record integration and Assignment of Benefits functionality were added as new requirements at the same time. For a practice already managing the complexity of a first launch, this meant absorbing a second site and two new features without losing ground on the original go-live.
The team at i3 had also heard the industry stories about RIS deployments that run over time, over budget, or over patience. That set the bar for what they expected from Kestral.
The Approach
Kestral worked as an implementation partner rather than a software vendor. Weekly implementation meetings gave the project structure and a consistent point of contact, so questions had somewhere to go and decisions had a clear record.
Training was delivered alongside full documentation, user guides, and process manuals, giving i3 staff resources they could return to after go-live, not just during it. When Sanctuary Point Ultrasound was added mid-project, the Kestral team reorganised the implementation plan around it rather than treating it as a separate, later project. My Health Record integration and Assignment of Benefits were built into the same timeline, with i3 becoming one of the first practices to run both features from launch.
The Result
i3 Imaging Dapto and Sanctuary Point Ultrasound both went live on Karisma. The practice describes it as the smoothest software implementation and onboarding process they have experienced, a direct contrast to the accounts of difficult RIS deployments they had heard from colleagues.
“What we experienced was, without question, the smoothest software implementation and onboarding process I have ever been involved in.”
— Dr. Naushad Ali Basheer Ahamed, Director & Radiologist, i3 Imaging
Key outcomes:
- Two sites live on a single Karisma platform from one implementation project
- Sanctuary Point Ultrasound absorbed into the project scope without delaying the original go-live
- My Health Record integration and Assignment of Benefits delivered as part of the same rollout, not a later add-on
- A practice that set out to focus on patients, not on managing software vendors, now running day to day on Karisma
Why This Matters for New Radiology Practices
Launching a new practice already means managing a long list of moving parts. Adding a second site or new functionality partway through an implementation is the point where many projects lose time or trust. i3 Radiology’s experience shows what happens when the implementation partner treats scope changes as part of the plan rather than a disruption to it, and when the practice’s focus can stay on patients instead of the system behind them.
Frequently asked questions
Can a practice add a new site to a Karisma implementation that is already underway?
Yes. i3 Radiology added Sanctuary Point Ultrasound partway through its original implementation. Kestral reorganised the project plan to bring the new site online alongside the original go-live, rather than running it as a separate later project.
Can My Health Record integration and Assignment of Benefits be added during an implementation rather than planned from the start?
Yes. Both were introduced as new requirements during the i3 Radiology project and delivered as part of the same rollout. i3 became one of the first practices to go live with both features active.
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