Virtual Radiologic said Wednesday it completed its merger with rival, Scottsdale, Ariz.-based NightHawk Radiology, making the joint business arguably the largest teleradiology firm around. Eden Prairie, Minn.-based vRad announced it would buy NightHawk for $170 million in September.

The combined group is affiliated with 325 radiologists and serves around 2,700 health care facilities across the country, reading nearly 7 million studies annually, the companies said.

vRad tried to reassure radiologists it wasn't out to compete with them, and that one of its main strategies is to work with them for night reads or offering access to specialists.

"[B]oth companies have publicly committed to partnering with our local radiologist clients, not competing with them. That commitment remains a fundamental component of our business strategy," vRad's president and CEO Rob Kill said in prepared remarks.

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