Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Patrick Ford, M.D.

Nuclear Imaging & Therapy Physician · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Cardiac Imaging — Practice with significant diagnostic imaging and stress testing
Low-engagement
6411 FANNIN ST, Houston, TX 77030
7137044680
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1639164809 verify on NPPES ↗
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating. This page presents federal public records about Dr. Ford from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Ford

Dr. Patrick Ford is a nuclear imaging & therapy physician in Houston, TX, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Ford performed 518 Medicare services across 512 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Ford received a total of $2,187 from 9 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 21 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in nuclear imaging & therapy physician. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Ford is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ 518 Medicare services $2,187 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
518
Medicare services
Bottom 20% in TX for nuclear imaging & therapy physician
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
512
Unique beneficiaries
$36
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~26 Medicare services per year of practice

Top procedures by volume

Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.

Procedure Volume Avg. paid Avg. submitted
Whole body bone and joint nuclear medicine scan
A nuclear medicine imaging test that uses a radioactive tracer to create pictures of the entire skeleton and joints. This scan helps evaluate bone health and detect abnormalities throughout the body.
 98 $31 $288
Lung ventilation and perfusion scan
A nuclear medicine test that uses radioactive tracers to evaluate both air flow (ventilation) and blood flow (perfusion) in the lungs.
 61 $39 $288
Nuclear medicine lung circulation study
A nuclear medicine test that uses a small amount of radioactive material to create images of blood flow through the lungs.
 50 $28 $248
Bone density scan (DEXA)
A test that uses low-dose X-rays to measure bone mineral density in the hip, pelvis, and spine. It helps assess bone strength and risk of fractures.
 43 $10 $92
Nuclear medicine stomach emptying study
A nuclear medicine test used to assess how quickly the stomach empties its contents.
 38 $30 $255
Nuclear medicine liver and bile duct study with drugs
A nuclear medicine imaging test to examine the liver and bile duct system using administered drugs.
 34 $33 $277
Nuclear medicine scan from skull base to mid-thigh with CT
A nuclear medicine imaging study covering the area from the base of the skull to the middle of the thighs, performed alongside a CT scan.
 34 $84 $630
Bone scan with multiple time points
A nuclear medicine imaging test that captures images of the bones at various intervals to assess bone health and detect abnormalities.
 27 $37 $348
SPECT nuclear medicine scan, 1 area
A nuclear medicine imaging test using a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan to create detailed images of one specific area of the body.
 23 $37 $272
Parathyroid nuclear medicine study with SPECT
A nuclear medicine imaging test that uses a radioactive tracer to visualize the parathyroid glands. The study includes single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to create detailed three-dimensional images.
 21 $45 $553
Parathyroid nuclear medicine study with SPECT/CT
A nuclear medicine imaging test that uses a radioactive tracer to visualize the parathyroid glands, combined with SPECT and CT scans for detailed anatomical localization.
 21 $58 $440
Injection of radioactive material for lymph node identification
A radioactive substance is injected to help locate lymph nodes during imaging procedures.
 16 $27 $197
Nuclear medicine liver and bile duct scan
A nuclear medicine imaging test to evaluate the liver and bile duct system.
 15 $28 $191
Nuclear medicine kidney study with drug administration
A nuclear medicine test that evaluates kidney blood flow and function using a radioactive tracer and drug administration.
 13 $44 $326
Nuclear medicine study to assess blood loss
A nuclear medicine test used to evaluate and locate active bleeding within the body.
 12 $36 $318
Whole body nuclear medicine scan
A diagnostic imaging test that uses a small amount of radioactive material to create pictures of the entire body. It helps doctors evaluate the structure and function of organs and tissues throughout the body.
 12 $29 $294
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.
11.8% high complexity
74.7% medium
13.5% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2023 ↗
$2,187
Total received (2018-2023)
Avg $365/year across 6 years
Top 50% in TX for nuclear imaging & therapy physician
9
Companies
21
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →

Payment profile

Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.

Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$2,187 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2023
$94
2022
$46
2021
$24
2020
$145
2019
$61
2018
$1,817

Payments by company (2023)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Biocompatibles, Inc.
$1,773
Sirtex Medical Inc
$145
Advanced Accelerator Applications
$106
NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION
$56
GE HealthCare
$27
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$24
Telix Pharmaceuticals
$19
Blue Earth Diagnostics Limited
$18
Boston Scientific Corporation
$18
Top 3 companies account for 92.5% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Axumin · COSENTYX · EKOSONIC · ILLUCCIX · LUTATHERA (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) · SIR-Spheres Microspheres · THERASPHERE · THERASPHERE - BIO · THERASPHERE-BIO · TheraSphere Y90 Glass Microspheres 10 GBq
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →

Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $422 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a nuclear imaging & therapy physician in Houston?
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Geographic Context

Nuclear imaging & therapy physicians within 10 mi
6
Per 100K population
0.1
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
MEMORIAL HERMANN - TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry ✓ NPPES Weekly updates
Medicare Enrollment ✓ PECOS Monthly updates
Practice Data ✓ Medicare Util. Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments ✓ Open Payments CY 2023
Disciplinary History — Not public N/A

This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Ford is a cardiac imaging specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 years of NPI registration.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Ford experienced with whole body bone and joint nuclear medicine scan?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Ford performed 98 whole body bone and joint nuclear medicine scan services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Ford receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Ford received a total of $2,187 from 9 companies across 21 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. Ford's costs compare to other nuclear imaging & therapy physicians in Houston?
Dr. Ford's average Medicare payment per service is $36. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. Ford) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →

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About this page

All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.

This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. The Transparency Score measures data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →