Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
Thank you sir. (Operator instructions) And our first question comes from the line of David Veal with Morgan Stanley. Please go ahead.
David Veal – Morgan Stanley
Great. Thank you, Dr. Berger, just looking at the volume numbers, it seems this is the first time we've seen really an organic volume decline. I just wonder if you could speak to kind of where your customers’ heads are at in terms of running their own practices, and how they might view you as a resource.
Paul Berger
David, I think there are multiple factors involved. I think the volumes are related to a number of different things. One is the economic environment. We've touched on that. The second I think is a concern on the part of the radiologists, our customers, that the current economic climate may be affecting them, it may well be that they would assume some uptake or decrease in some of the hours that we're covering. I don't think that will be a substantial factor, but it will be a factor. I think that there are a lot of concerns that the radiologists themselves have but in the long run, I believe that their needs for services like ours will become more and more and more apparent. There are local competitive pressures in the area, David, as well which impact what we're doing. Again, I think our broad suite of opportunities and our broad suite of services that we provide will carry the day when the final bell rings.
David Veal – Morgan Stanley
Right, and I guess when you look at the trends sort of on a month-by-month basis through the quarter, is there anything to talk about there?
Paul Berger
Yes. I think the problem we've had, is that the volumes, the seasonality adjusted increase in volumes that we usually see, were somewhat less than we usually see even though July and August were good months. September went down slightly and October is similar to September in that regard. So there has been some lesser volumes than we would have anticipated, but these are for the reasons I just articulated.
David Veal – Morgan Stanley
Right. So it was more or less associated with the credit crisis and the headlines around that, is that fair?
Paul Berger
You know, I think that's a significant part of it. It's very, very hard to put your finger on those sort of things, but I think clearly that has something to do with the issue.
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