ICE Magazine June 2022 by MD Publishing

JUNE 2022 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 6

MAGAZINE

THEICECOMMUNITY.COM

ADVANCING

IMAGING PROFESSIONALS

READING THE LIE OF IMAGING AI Which Way Will Deep Computing, Automated Processes Evolve Within Radiology? PAGE 34

PRODUCT FOCUS - MRI PAGE 30

GUIDE TO AHRA PAGE 18

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FEATURES

DIRECTOR’S CUT

Medical imaging assistants, front desk team members and others are essential for providing an excellent patient experience and can often make great technologists or organizational leaders.

COVER STORY

Diagnostic imaging professionals are waiting for AI technology to deliver on some of the supposed generational leaps it was meant to promise.

RISING STAR

MRI technologist Joseph Kim is currently pursuing an Associate of Science degree in nuclear medicine.

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

JUNE 2022

23 IMAGING NEWS

Catch up on the latest news from around the diagnostic imaging world.

30 PRODUCT FOCUS

The magnetic resonance imaging market is expected to reach $11.5 billion by 2027.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Author shares social media tips, including ‘Don’t say anything online that you would never say face-to-face.’

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ICEMAGAZINE

CONTENTS MD Publishing 1015 Tyrone Rd. Ste. 120 Tyrone, GA 30290 Phone: 800-906-3373

SPOTLIGHT

In Focus Emilio Vega

Rising Star Joseph Kim

Kristin Leavoy kristin@mdpublishing.com

Off the Clock Emma R. Schachner, PhD

Group Publisher

Rad Idea Consider Being A Mentor

Guide to AHRA AHRA Celebrates 50 Years

President

John M. Krieg john@mdpublishing.com

Vice President

Megan Strand megan@mdpublishing.com

Editorial

John Wallace

Art Department Karlee Gower Taylor Powers Kameryn Johnson

NEWS

Events

Kristin Leavoy

Webinars

webinar@mdpublishing.com

Digital Department Cindy Galindo Kennedy Krieg

Accounting Diane Costea

Editorial Board

Laurie Schachtner Nicole T. Walton-Trujillo Mario Pistilli Jef Williams Christopher Nowak

ICE Magazine (Vol. 6, Issue #6) June 2022 is published by MD Publishing, 1015 Tyrone Rd., Ste. 120, Tyrone, GA 30290. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ICE Magazine at 1015 Tyrone Rd., Ste. 120, Tyrone, GA 30290. For subscription information visit www. theicecommunity.com. The information and opinions expressed in the articles and advertisements herein are those of the writer and/or advertiser, and not necessarily those of the publisher. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. © 2022

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

Imaging News A Look at What’s Changing in the Imaging Industry

PRODUCTS

29 30

Market Report

Product Focus MRI

INSIGHTS

Director’s Cut Next Imaging Star May Already Be On Your Team

PACS/IT Happy Radiologist and Imaging AI

Rad HR Four Feet- the Power of Small Shifts

Emotional Intelligence Social Media, Politeness and You

Chew On This Managing Medical Errors, Learning from Other Industries

Roman Review If Only I Had…

52 54 58

ICE Break AMSP Member Directory

Index

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SPOTLIGHT

IN FOCUS EMILIO VEGA

BY JOHN WALLACE

YU Langone Health CT Quality and Safety Manager Emilio Vega, BS, RT (R) (CT) ARRT, found his way into the realm of diagnostic imaging after an injury.

Emilio Vega, BS, RT (R) (CT) ARRT, is the CT quality and safety manager at NYU Langone Health.

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

“Years ago, I needed an X-ray of my knee. A friend of mine was the technologist who performed the exam. From that moment, my interest in imaging was sparked,” Vega explains. It is a decision that continues to pay off. When asked why he loves his job, Vega’s reply emphasized helping others. “I love my job since it allows me to deliver health care to those in need. Having the opportunity to work with masters of the field has given me the passion and enthusiasm to learn and share tools of the trade. I am fortunate in that

I work for one of the world’s best health care organizations. Professionals from all walks of life work in synergy to deliver health care in a meaningful way. NYU Langone has given me the opportunity to be a part of a team,” he says. He has experienced success as an imaging leader but is quick to point something outside of work as his greatest achievement. “My greatest accomplishment is becoming a parent. My children are everything to me. Being able to see them grow up and interact with them throughout the years confirms that I achieved one of life’s greatest gifts – the ability to create a family,” Vega says. “Family is number one. They are the heart of my life and give me the energy to do my very best in all facets of my life. My family consists of my wife and three sons. Two are 15

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

and one is 22 years old and already a radiation safety technologist,” he says. “In my professional career, my accomplishments are many,” he adds. “I’ve created a very robust 3D image processing lab for our department. I’ve also implemented a radiation dose monitoring system to capture our dose indices. Working with the American College of Radiology on its pilot program, we participated in the world’s first registry for radiation dose. I am proud to say NYU Radiology is at the sweet spot – not too low – but just enough to produce high-quality diagnostic images.” “In addition to radiation dose optimization, speaking at industry conferences has also been my passion,” he adds. “I thoroughly enjoy sharing what I have learned with others and ultimately engaging in conversation with other leaders in the field. Quality and safety are my world. I want to ensure proper equipment utilization of the latest and greatest CT scanners. My goal is to provide the best image quality with the lowest radiation dose.” When it comes to leadership Vega has a unique perspective. “Leadership is the ability to lead a group of people and to create a team. My approach to leadership is to standing beside my team. Being there in time of need, working together in any capacity – whether it is clinical or administrative – has a positive impact on our team of frontline technologists,” Vega explains. “I am

right there with my team, patient-facing on a daily basis.” “Lifelong learning preserves an individual’s desire to obtain new knowledge outside of the formal education system. Developing an attitude where you constantly learn is the only way to succeed in the dynamic radiology environment which we live in today,” he adds. Vega has been fortunate to have many mentors who have been generous to share their knowledge including doctors, nurses, technologists and physician assistants. “They have all helped me when I needed and let me fly on my own as well to give me the confidence everyone needs to achieve,” he says. His mentors have inluded Dr. Alec Megibow, Dr. Jane Ko, Dr. Danny Kim and Joan Rodriquez. Rodriquez is the former manager of CT/XR services, now retired, and was the person who on-boarded Vega at NYU Langone Health. “She has taught me, along with the rest of the technologists, how to be successful and add value to a radiology department,” he says. He is paying it forward by serving as a mentor to others. “I have learned to share information in a way that allows new technologists to absorb in a fun and interactive way. Taking all the resources available and applying them in different ways to keep things fresh and interesting has proven to work well,” he says.•

EMILIO VEGA BS, RT (R) (CT) ARRT

1. What is the last book you read? “The Art of Mindfulness.” 2. Favorite movie? “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” I watched it with my kids on the opening day. We were excited to be able to go to a movie theater. Just having the opportunity to spend quality time with family was the best. We even got Spider-Man NFTs. 3. What is something most of your coworkers don’t know about you? I used to break-dance and still do it for pleasure and exercise. 4. Who is your mentor? My mentors are people who provide me with the tools, guidance, support and feedback I need to thrive in my career. There are many individuals who have been very generous with their time to promote my career growth. I learn from our radiologists, nurses, physician assistants and technologist staff every day. 5. What is one thing you do every morning to start your day? Pause when I get up to give thanks to life. Have a healthy breakfast to start my day. 6. Best advice you ever received? Choose a career that you love so that you can look forward to going to work and giving it your best. 7. Who has had the biggest influence on your life? My mom is the most influential person in my life. She is an amazing example of how to work hard and how to love. She is a role model in how to overcome challenges and to keep fighting. She is such an outstanding person but an even better mom. She also taught me how to be independent, how to make strong family connections and how to set goals. 8. What would your superpower be? My enthusiasm. I have such a passion for my field that my enthusiasm gets others motivated. 9. What are your hobbies? I like to take on projects around the house. I am learning how to be a handyman. Woodworking is one of my favorites. 10. What is your perfect meal? Surf and Turf with baked potato and salad. Three leches cheesecake for dessert.

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ICEMAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT

RISING

STAR JOSEPH KIM

his month’s Rising Star is MRI technologist Joseph Kim. He is currently pursuing an Associate of Science degree in nuclear medicine. His imaging education includes knowledge obtained from the United States Navy and Gurnick Academy. His certifications include venipuncture and MRI technologist. ICE magazine learned more about this MRI technologist via an online interview. Q: WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? OR, WHERE ARE YOU FROM? A: I was born in Hawaii but grew up in California and currently reside here.

JOSEPH KIM

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

Q: WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR IMAGING TRAINING/EDUCATION? WHAT DEGREES/CERTIFICATIONS DO YOU HAVE? A: I received my education form Gurnick Academy. I currently have an AS degree in MRI technologist. Q: HOW DID YOU FIRST DECIDE TO START WORKING IN IMAGING? A: During my service in the military, I learned about my passion to serve others. I always loved patient care, so I decided to go into a field where I can promote the best possible patient care.

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

Q: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO GET INTO THIS FIELD? A: I chose this field because I love pathology, patient care and human anatomy. Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR POSITION? A: The day-to-day interactions with patients and learning something new every day. Q: WHAT INTERESTS YOU THE MOST ABOUT THE IMAGING FIELD? A: Patient interaction and being able to use technology to diagnose a patient are what interest me the most about imaging. Q: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN YOUR FIELD THUS FAR? A: My greatest accomplishment would have to be the ability to be compassionate, being able to adapt to constantly changing imaging scenes and successfully imaging and I also built protocols for three clinical sites and taught students. Q: WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS? A: I would like to become a dual-modality technologist and a manager in the radiology department. •

FUN FACTS FAVORITE HOBBY: Spending time with my family and gaming on my Xbox. FAVORITE SHOW: “House” and “The Good Doctor” FAVORITE FOOD: Korean BBQ FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Hawaii 1 THING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Travel all over Europe and volunteer for WHO. SOMETHING YOUR CO-WORKERS DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU: That I have a collection of Funko Pops.

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ICEMAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT

Off

THE

Clock

EMMA R. SCHACHNER, PH.D. BY MATT SKOUFALOS

rom an early age, Emma Schachner’s curiosity about animals presented itself in distinct ways.

At five, she asked her pediatrician for a human cadaver, and was rewarded instead with a box of nitrile gloves. At nine, her mother came home to discover Schachner boiling a crow to perform some amateur taxidermy. (It was not uncommon, she said, for her parents to chastise their daughter after she’d brought home roadkill to study.) But it wasn’t until she was dissecting animals in a veterinary anatomy program at the University of Pennsylvania that Schachner realized her true calling was not just a love of animals, but of their anatomy. After having completed an undergraduate degree in political science just in time to realize she was preparing for the wrong career, Schachner, who loves art as much as she does animals, was invited by Swarthmore College developmental biology professor Scott Gilbert to assist one of his students with a project on ancient turtles. From there, she said, it was a “sideways” entry into the world of paleontology. “I think everybody grows up liking dinosaurs, and some of us just don’t stop liking dinosaurs, and we continue on to graduate school to study dinosaurs,” Schachner said. “It was kind of an accident. My graduate supervisor, Peter Dodson, pointed out the ribs in a dinosaur skeleton, and said, ‘Look at those ribs; they look like bird ribs.’ I went from being obsessed with dinosaurs to being obsessed with their relationship to birds, their living descendants.” Schachner continued on to England, where she earned a master’s degree in paleontology; to the University of Pennsylvania, where she completed her Ph.D. in the field, and then post-doctoral years studying alligator physiology, dog orthopedics in veterinary school and finally radiology. Today, Schachner is an associate research professor 14

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

in the department of cell biology and anatomy as well as a teacher of dental anatomy, with a secondary appointment in the Department of radiology at LSU Health-New Orleans. “I have a love of illustration, and [imaging offers] the best of both worlds,” she said. “Radiology is just beautiful; it’s combining art and science together to make a 3D model; you get to see inside an animal without destroying it.” Schachner is as offhanded about her polymath pursuits as she is committed to them. Describing herself as “a dumpster-diving scientist,” she’s nonetheless always shown up for an opportunity to further her education. She jumped at the chance to learn how paleontologist Larry Witmer uses computed-tomography-based modeling to create digital anatomical models of dinosaur anatomy from fossil evidence and modern animals, even though it meant crashing on a friend’s couch in Ohio to do it. “I always am trying to get people to rein in their speculation about dinosaurs,” Schachner said. “One of the things I’m interested in doing is validating the things that we do know, and I want them to be validated functionally. There’s very few things you can say with just a skeleton, and we’re working on making very hard linkages; we want to prove that the soft-tissue biology is connected to that skeletal element, and how it evolved to be that way, before making claims about extinct animals.” “If you talk to doctors, you’ll realize we’re just barely clinging to the edge of a cliff of our understanding,” Schachner said. “We’re still learning new things about people. We know next to nothing and it’s so amazing. Now I need to know all the things. I can’t stop.” That curiosity has impelled Schachner throughout various examinations of anatomy, but none has held her fascination so much as the study of the lungs of various animals, from birds and reptiles to humans to theoretical models of dinosaurs. Diversity of pulmonary structures is one of her chief interests, and it commands a significant ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

Segmented surface models of an adult live (top) and hatchling deceased (middle) Cuvier’s dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) and a juvenile deceased ostrich (Struthio camelus) modeled in the scientific visualization software Avizo (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Images modified from Schachner et al. (2021; 2022). focus of her research lab. “I find that most people in my field are especially interested in heads and limbs – teeth, eyes, brain, claws; that’s mostly what people want to know about – how all animals are running around,” Schachner said. “Lungs are overlooked because the primary function of the lung is gas exchange which is well established.” “They’re one of the most structurally diverse organs,” she said. “In a bunch of animals, they’ve got secondary jobs – locomotion, vocalization. In crocs, they’re used to control pitch and roll in water; tortoises and lizards use them to shove their body up into crevices. They do all these kinds of things that are dramatically understudied. They’re so diverse that they can be used as a phylogenetic trait in some species; to evaluate who is related to whom.” In her teaching and research roles, Schachner marries her insight as a scientist to her sensibilities as an artist; her interest in “the visual communication of science” is crucial to connecting a broad audience with the material she’s presented. Whether in her 3D reconstruction of alligator or bird lungs, or hand-drawn illustrations of paleontological models, Schachner WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM

takes great pains to communicate her findings in ways that educate through engagement. It’s a particularly useful mechanism when making evolutionary arguments for cross-species organ development. “One of the most important things when I teach anatomy is teaching students about variation and evolution,” Schachner said. “When I talk about the spine, I always talk about how the discs in between the vertebrae originally evolved to be under tension instead of compression. I describe how the serratus anterior, which straps your shoulder to your body, shifts the arm position in a biped relative to how it would be in a quadruped, and how the function changes. It puts the limb in a different perspective.” “Being bipedal has a lot of dramatic benefits, but it also has some huge drawbacks,” she said. “Understanding how animals fall into all this is completely helpful, but also explains a lot of problems that we have. If you take an isolated view of humans and think, ‘This is how it is, it’s perfect, done,’ and you’re not willing to think outside that evolutionary box, you might miss things as a clinician – especially a patient with a chronic ailment tied to their anatomy. I try to train my

students this way to help them think differently as future clinicians.” Schachner’s creativity comes into play in the logo for her lab, a chimeric archesaur she’s named Xenophon, after the Greek military leader, philosopher and historian of the third century BCE. Her Xenophon is depicted in the form of a winged alligator shown against the Orion nebula. To Schachner, he represents her interests in creative thinking, ancient studies and the advancement of the sciences. “He’s representing my lab’s primary collection of animals that we studied,” she said. “The wings are for birds, the alligator is for the croc side, and the Orion nebula is also a rainbow, so it’s welcoming to everyone. It’s all those things together.” When she’s not in the lab or the field, furthering her research, Schachner spends her time with her pit bull terriers, Mila and Augustus, whose massive Instagram following (@thevelvetburritos) eclipses that of her scientific work. A competitive shooter with the United States Practical Shooting Association, she is also a USCCA certified instructor, the better to educate diverse groups of people in practical firearm safety. • ICEMAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT

Rad IDEA BY JOHN WALLACE

CONSIDER BEING A MENTOR

ne career development opportunity for imaging professionals (and really every type of professional) is a mentorship. The Business News Daily website provides a good explanation of a mentorship. “Mentorship is a mutually beneficial professional relationship in which an experienced individual (the mentor) imparts knowledge, expertise and wisdom to a less experienced person (the mentee), while simultaneously honing their mentoring skills. An effective mentor can professionally guide the mentee while maintaining a friendly and supportive relationship. A mentor should always have the mentee’s best interests in mind and tailor their mentorship style to meet the needs of the mentee,” an article by Matt D’Angelo explains. The article also suggests three things individuals should keep in mind when considering a mentorship. The three items are: 16

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

•

Define what you want out of your career and what you need to learn to get there. • Approach a mentor relationship as if it’s a business friendship – be casual and friendly, and try not to ask weird questions like, “Will you be my mentor?” • Start with your professional network. Individuals often already have mentors who provide advice in various ways, and all it takes is a little effort to grow that connection into an ongoing relationship. A mentorship provides an opportunity for growth. It helps the mentee as well as the mentor develop and/or enhance different talents and strengths. Take time to look into developing a mentorship for yourself or serving as a mentor for someone else. • Share your RAD IDEA via an email to jwallace@ mdpublishing.com.

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

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GUIDE TO AHRA

AHRA CELEBRATES 50 YEARS STAFF REPORT

A AHRA: The Association for Medical Imaging Management is a professional organization representing management at all levels of hospital imaging departments, freestanding imaging centers and group practices. Founded in 1973, AHRA’s 5,000 members reach across the country and around the world. AHRA offers a complete slate of professional development programs including a comprehensive selection of educational conferences and seminars, networking opportunities, award winning publications and the Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA) credential.

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

HRA’s Annual Meeting continues to be a premier event for imaging professionals. The 2022 AHRA Annual Meeting is a celebration of 50 years made sweeter by the return to in-person events as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers. Imaging professionals have been encouraged to make plans to join the event at the Phoenix Convention Center this summer. The AHRA website states, “we promise, there is no place cooler to be immersed in learning, connecting, and celebrating with fellow imaging professionals, and friends we call family.” The four-day event features keynote speakers as well as different tracks of education. Educational tracks offered include CRA Exam Workshops, Aspiring Leaders, Established Leaders and Workshops. The planned workshops include the CRA Exam Workshop, the 2022 Executive Business Leadership Workshop and a

session titled “Read (Hidden) Emotions: The Science Behind a New Skill.” Another workshop, sponsored by United Imaging, is “AHRA Leaders of Choice Certificate Program: Opening Session.” AHRA’s transformative new, year-long business program will prepare senior imaging professionals to be the confident, next-level leaders needed to manage and shape the future of the increasingly complex health care environment. In addition to growing overall business skills, presentation skills, and financial acumen, participants will be challenged to be bold thinkers, capable of changing the status quo and creating the path forward for their organizations. AHRA’s Leaders of Choice Certificate Program will run for a full year, starting with this half-day workshop at AHRA 2022 in Phoenix followed by 9 webinars, and culminating in a wrap-up at AHRA 2023. Special registration for this session is required. Visit the Leaders of Choice site

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

for the full agenda and additional information. Another plus of the annual conference are the opportunities to network with peers and vendors. The exhibit hall will be filled with more than 100 different companies offering solutions that will help imaging leaders do their jobs better. Three keynote addresses are another popular part of the annual meeting. The first keynote address will be presented by Dr. Natalie Stavas. Stavas was born on a farm in Nebraska. She was once told that people from Nebraska don’t do well in places like Boston. She proved them wrong. She was the first person from Nebraska to be accepted into the Harvard Pediatric Training program at Boston Children’s Hospital. One year after moving to Boston she received the Boston Foundation’s Change Maker award and in 2013 she received the Bostonian of the Year Award. This award is given to Bostonians who impact their community in a remarkable way. An avid runner, her philosophy for success is …. “You Run Toward.” This philosophy was never more apparent than on April 15, 2013. She had just run 26 miles and was about to finish the Boston marathon when the bombs detonated at the finish line. Instead of turning around and running away with the crowd, she ran towards the chaos and saved four lives that day. She attacks every obstacle with the same attitude: “You run towards that which you fear, that which challenges you, that which is oppositional.” She speaks to audiences about her experience as a first responder and what ultimately led her to make that fateful decision to run into a terrorist attack. Tuesday’s keynote address will be delivered by Diversity and Inclusion Expert Risha Grant. She will discuss how building an inclusive culture is imperative to business success. Attendees will learn the keys to creating a culture that welcomes

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all employees, boosts retention and productivity. During this talk, she will share applicable tips and strategies to take your company’s culture to the next level. The Closing Business Session and Keynote will be delivered by motivational speaker Kenyon Salo. The address is titled “The Bucket List Life: Create more experiences, share more stories and live more fulfilled.” The AHRA Annual Meeting will also include special events! The agenda includes the “First-Time Attendee & New Member Welcome Luncheon” on Sunday, July 10. This invitation only luncheon is a great way to get acquainted with AHRA. Connect with new colleagues, meet AHRA leaders, and enjoy fellowship

over a meal. It is sponsored by West Physics. Sunday evening is the “President’s Welcome Reception” starting at 6 p.m. Kick off your 2022 AHRA Annual Meeting experience with a chance to connect with old friends and fellow attendees at the President’s Welcome Reception. Everyone is invited to join the festivities for a special evening of food and fun. On Wednesday night, everyone is invited to attend the AHRA Closing Party. It is a not-to-be-missed event with a fun theme, dancing, food and drinks. • For more information, visit the AHRA Annual Meeting website at eventscribe. net/2022/AHRA.

AHRA educational sessions grab the attention of attendees with insightful knowledge.

The keynote address is always a popular part of the annual meeting.

Themed parties are a popular networking aspect of the annual event. This year, the party will have a circus theme to go along with the annual meeting’s celebration of magic! ICEMAGAZINE

GUIDE TO AHRA

2022 AHRA EXHIBITOR LISTINGS Advanced Health Education Center Booth #1124 aheconline.com

DirectMed Parts Booth #316 directmedparts.com

GE Healthcare Booth #608 gehealthcare.com Block Imaging Booth #704 blockimaging.com

Carestream Health Inc. Booth #817 carestream.com/en/us

Crothall Healthcare Booth #210 crothall.com

Digirad Corp Booth #104 digirad.com

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

KA Imaging Booth #208 kaimaging.com

KMG Medical Imaging Booth #324 kingsmedical.com

Guerbet, LLC Booth #401 guerbet.com/en-us

Kopp Development Inc. Booth # 808 koppdevelopment.com

ICE Magazine Booth #424 theicecommunity.com

LANDAUER & RaySafe Booth # 1109 raysafe.com landauer.com

Injector Support and Service Booth #1123 weareiss.com

Medical Imaging Solutions Booth #1416 medicalimaginggroup.com

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

Medical Technology Management Institute (MTMI) Booth #524 mtmi.net

MXR Imaging Booth #1217 mxrimaging.com

RTI Group North America Booth #411 rtigroup.com

Summit Imaging Booth #1223 mysummitimaging.com

Sky Factory Booth #206 skyfactory.com

Technical Prospects Booth #1225 technicalprospects.com

Richarson Healthcare Booth # 305 rellhealthcare.com

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Sodexo Booth #927 us.sodexo.com/industry/ healthcare.html

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NEWS

Imaging News

A LOOK AT WHAT’S CHANGING IN THE IMAGING INDUSTRY

TECHNICAL PROSPECTS ADDS MRI CLINICAL APPLICATIONS SUPPORT, TRAINING Technical Prospects has announced the addition of MRI clinical applications support, available immediately, 24/7 for customers, and MRI clinical applications training courses, enabling MRI technologists to expand their skills and knowledge, to learn more about MRI imaging techniques and applications. “It’s an exciting time for new growth at Technical Prospects, and I am excited to be a part of enhancing the MRI knowledge base of our customers,” said Nestor Brito, senior MRI applications specialist at Technical Prospects, with over 22 years of Siemens MRI clinical applications experience. Many MRI technologists have benefited from the MRI clinical applications support, which is offered 24/7 for customers, as well as the clinical applications training courses, according to a news release. Mercyhealth Medical Hospital, part of a health care system that is serviced by Technical Prospects, recently utilized the MRI clinical applications support and clinical applications training courses at two of its facilities, enabling Mercyhealth technologists to increase the quality of their MRI protocols, thus enhancing MRI image resolution and patient care, the release states. “Thank you all for the quick resolution. Nestor was very helpful in solving our MRI clinical applications issues,” said Julie Costello, R.T. (R) (CT) (MRI), MRI coordinator, Mercyhealth technologist. MRI clinical applications support is offered 24/7 for customers and clinical applications training courses are available now and are the latest offering under the Technical Prospects’ “Support Pillar,” which was driven by customer feedback.

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“Technical Prospects is committed to deliver meticulous parts and services, all of which are quality assured and backed by rock-solid training and above-and-beyond engineering and radiation technologists support … all from a single source,” the release states. “If that sounds unique in the industry, that’s because it is, and we will continue to deliver distinctive 360-degree solutions to our customers,” said Tina Lewis, BS, RT, (R)(M) (MR)(AART), national service operations lead and head of the clinical applications segment at Technical Prospects. MRI clinical applications support is offered 24/7 for customers and the clinical applications training courses schedule is available online at technicalprospects.com. The upcoming course is “Introduction to Eline Software, Aera and Skyra” (AHRA Reference: LEC11668, Expiration Date: 4/30/2024). This course meets all criteria and has been approved by AHRA: The Association for Medical Imaging Management for 7.25 Category A ARRT continuing education credits. This course will be offered via the Interactive Virtual Training Academy (IVTA) where the technologist can attend the course and earn the CEU credit from anywhere around the world. All Technical Prospects Courses are offered with the highest level of CEU credits for engineers and technologists. Technical Prospects Training Academy certifies all MRI clinical applications courses with the AHRT: The Association for Medical Imaging Management with Category A credits recognized by ARRT: The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. • For more information, visit technicalprospects.com.

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NEWS

TURNER’S SMART-C EARNS SILVER MEDAL The Smart-C, by Turner Imaging Systems, has received the 2022 Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) Silver Medal in the category of radiological, imaging, and electromechanical devices. This is a medtech industry award program to honor achievements in medical product design and engineering that improve the quality of health care delivery and accessibility. Entries are judged by an impartial panel of medtech experts, including practicing doctors, nurses, designers, engineers, manufacturers and human factors experts. MDEA jurors comprehensively review entries based on product design, use for materials, patient and end-user benefits, system benefits, improved accessibility and unmet clinical need. Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry (MDDI) editor Daphne Allan adds that, “this year’s entrants were amazing; each playing a significant role in changing the direction of the industry and bringing viable new innovations that overcome today’s most pressing challenges in the health care field.” “The Smart-C is a disruptive X-ray imaging system finding new uses in clinics, operating rooms, urgent care facilities, sport, military medicine, humanitarian missions, and emergency departments,” says Mike Orthner, Ph.D., director of business development. “This technology has shown positive impact on health care efficiency; point-of-care X-ray imaging leads to quicker diagnoses, faster interventions, and improved outcomes with reduced costs.” Health care systems are under enormous strain and the novel Smart-C design challenges the choke-point of traditional diagnostic and surgical imaging. Being compact, collapsible, lightweight, battery-operated, and water-resistant enables fluoroscopic imaging virtually anywhere – even in the rain. Turner Imaging continues to set itself apart from competitors by prioritizing patient and provider needs to create products that improve outcomes by increasing capability, improving efficiency and reducing cost of care. “It is an honor to earn this design recognition,” said Tom Youd, COO and vice president engineering, “Our highly talented and experienced engineering and design team spent countless hours refining the product design while observing and listening to our medical partners. We responded to their needs by designing a truly unique game-changing device. We’re excited to be bringing this new X-ray imaging option to both patients and providers alike.” • For more information, visit mdeawards.com/en/2022mdea-winners.html.

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

ECRI OPENS NEW GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS ECRI, a global, independent authority on healthcare technology and safety, has opened its new state-of-the-art global headquarters and medical device evaluation laboratory on a 24-acre campus near Philadelphia, according to a news release. “The opening marks an historic opportunity for the nation’s largest patient safety organization to fulfil its mission to advance effective, evidence-based health care globally,” according to the release. “The new building symbolizes the transformation that ECRI has been undergoing over the past few years,” says Marcus Schabacker, MD, Ph.D., president and CEO of ECRI. The independent nonprofit organization, founded more than 50 years ago, has evolved the scope of its capabilities with data-rich, cloud-based patient safety and technology solutions, partnering with hospitals and health systems in every state in the U.S. With offices in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, ECRI works internationally with clients in more than 150 countries. In 2020, ECRI’s acquisition of the Institute of Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) created the largest health care quality and safety entity in the world, driving greater value to health care across all care settings, including community, specialty and hospital pharmacies. “As we expanded our global footprint and forged new solutions for a rapidly changing health care market, we also reshaped our business structure to support a virtual hybrid workforce. For these reasons and more, we designed a global headquarters that reflects our core values and engages our diverse and talented employees in help-

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ing us achieve our strategic vision,” explained Schabacker. The overarching goal of the headquarters transformation was envisioning a new workspace for a new virtual hybrid workforce for ECRI and its affiliate ISMP. The building pays tribute to the legacy the organization’s founder, Joel Nobel, MD, and his invention of the Max Cart, the first medical crash cart. “The pandemic posed an incredible opportunity for ECRI to completely reimagine how to transform our existing space to meet the changing needs of the health care community. For us, creating collaboration spaces for our mainly virtual workforce was the unifying element and we accomplished this with a design centered on transparency, flexibility and smart technology,” says Pete Catalano, chief financial officer of ECRI, and executive project manager of the headquarters renovation. ECRI’s new headquarters features an independent medical device evaluation laboratory, an environmental lab, and accident and forensic investigation lab, multi-use, hightech meeting rooms, open collaboration areas and flexible workstations. The building’s third level, which has yet to be built out, is being envisioned as a hub for health care innovation, a place where local health care organizations with similar goals can collaborate on health care advancements. Philadelphia-based Irwin & Leighton were the contractors on the building project that was designed by Meyer Architecture+Interiors. The building officially opened on April 19, 2022, with a formal ribbon cutting ceremony. • For more information, visit ecri.org.

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NEWS KA IMAGING PLANS NEW MOBILE X-RAY SYSTEM KA Imaging is investing $1.4 million to create the world’s first dual-energy mobile X-ray system using its Reveal 35C dual-energy X-ray detector. The mobile X-ray will have increased imaging diagnostic capacity for a variety of patients, including those in critical care and for those located in rural and remote communities where stationary X-ray machines such as CT scans and MRIs are not feasible or accessible. The project will receive $967,200 through the Ontario Together Fund and will create four new jobs. “Through the Ontario Together Fund, our government is making strategic investments in innovative homegrown businesses with the ideas and solutions to help us support Ontario’s vibrant innovation and medtech ecosystem,” said Vic Fedeli, minister of economic development, job creation and trade. The Ontario Together Fund aims to increase the manu-

facturing of domestic medical supplies and the development and export of homegrown solutions and innovations. “Ontario Together funding will allow us to accelerate the development of the mobile X-ray system that has been on KA Imaging’s product roadmap for some time,” said Dr. Karim S. Karim, founder and CTO of KA Imaging. “This system will be the first made-in-Ontario mobile X-ray and coupled with KA Imaging’s unique spectral Reveal 35C X-ray detector, it will become an essential component for improving Ontario’s resilience to future pandemics while growing Ontario’s high-tech cluster and economy.” KA Imaging is a homegrown medtech company incubated from the University of Waterloo that specializes in developing X-ray imaging technologies and systems. The company’s intellectual property portfolio includes 80 global patents.•

PHILIPS, PRISMA HEALTH SIGN MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP Royal Philips and Prisma Health recently announced a multi-year agreement to help the health system achieve enterprise interoperability, standardize patient monitoring and drive innovation in enterprise imaging solutions to enhance patient care and improve clinical performance. As South Carolina’s largest private, nonprofit health care system, and second-largest private company, Prisma Health wants to deliver on the quadruple aim: improve patient and staff satisfaction, lower costs, and improve outcomes for all South Carolinians. “At Prisma Health, we wanted to engage a partner to help us address data integration and unlock the power of patient data so that we are able to provide our patients with the best care anywhere in our service areas. We want to put the right tools into the hands of our clinicians to allow them to better share information, collaborate and help transform care for the communities we serve,” said Rich Rogers, senior vice president, chief information officer, Prisma Health. With the Philips HealthSuite secure cloud platform at its foundation, Philips is committed to enterprise interoperability. Philips’ solutions portfolio includes real-time patient monitoring, therapeutic devices, telehealth, image management and informatics solutions including radiology and cardiology PACS, advanced visualization, vendor neutral archive (VNA) and Philips Enterprise Viewer – Vue Motion, and interoperability solutions, including

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

the Philips Capsule Medical Device Information Platform. Prisma Health will have access to these technologies and will be the largest installation of the Philips Enterprise Performance Analytics – Performance Bridge – analytics platform in North America. Performance Bridge gives health care professionals access to near real-time data on departmental performance through an easy-to-use interactive dashboard. Vendor agnostic, Performance Bridge unifies information across different imaging modalities and informatics solutions to optimize organizational efficiency, drive adherence to standards of care and facilitates additional revenue streams. Prisma Health plans to use Performance Bridge to drive innovation and monitor their delivery of quality health care. •

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

LENDING A HELPING HAND AT EVERY STEP. SAMSUNG INTRODUCES NEW MOBILE DR DEVICE Boston Imaging, the United States headquarters of Samsung digital radiography and ultrasound systems, introduces the GM85 Fit, a new configuration of the AccE GM85; a digital radiography device featuring a user-centric design that aids in efficient and effective patient care. The GM85 Fit recently received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for commercial use in the USA. “We are pleased to launch the GM85 Fit. It’s designed with the user in mind, from its lightweight design to its array of features,” said David Legg, vice president, head of Boston Imaging. “This solution is the latest addition to our best-in-class family of products. As the procedure volume of mobile X-ray increases to deal with unprecedented patient volume, Samsung continues to focus on creating more efficient mobile imaging solutions.”

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Powered by a lead-free lithium-ion battery, the GM85 Fit provides users with a more value-oriented mobile X-ray device that has high efficiency, throughput and workflow features, and a long lifespan. Specifically, the GM85 Fit features rapid charging. It charges within three to four hours. It can take up to 550 exposures and drive up to 37.3 miles during 11 hours of use without additional charging. It can take up to 1,900 exposures or be on standby for up to 35 hours on sleep mode. The ultralight design of the GM85 Fit delivers an effortless driving experience. The detector is also lightweight, which supports easier patient positioning for the technologist. It operates at low noise levels, less than 42 dB, during standby and Night Mode for quick control of device sound and brightness to avoid disturbing patients. •

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Market Report STAFF REPORT

he global magnetic resonance imaging market size was valued at $5.3 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.0% from 2021 to 2028, according to Grand View Research. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an efficient diagnostic machine for identifying diseases related to spine lesions, tumors and stroke impacting the area of blood vessels and brain. The increasing prevalence of these diseases is expected to play an important role in market growth. For instance, as per the American Cancer Society, in 2019, 1.7 million new cancer cases were recorded in the U.S. In addition to this, the growing demand for quick and effective diagnostic procedures is expected to contribute towards the adoption of MRI machines. Various countries are installing these MRI machines. For instance, as per OECD, in 2017 the number of MRI units installed in the U.S. was 37.6 per million population. Advancements in diagnostic techniques such as open MRI, visualization software and superconducting magnets are fueling the growth of the MRI market, according to Grand View Research. The recent advances seen in MRI technology are mainly on the software. These software advancements help in enabling faster contrast scans and simplifies imaging workflow. “In September 2016, GE Healthcare’s MAGiC (MAGnetic resonance image Compilation) software received U.S. FDA approval. This software helps in delivering eight contrasts in single acquisition in a fraction of time. Moreover, the development of cardiac pacemaker compatible MRI systems is also expected to propel the market growth in cardiology segment. Furthermore, various paramagnetic contrast agents such as gadolinium-DTPA are used as an intravenous injection to provide sharp, precise and accurate images within a shorter time frame. These technological advancements in MRI are expected to propel the market growth during the forecast period,” according to Grand View Research. “COVID-19 is expected to have a negative impact on MRI market. COVID-19 has majorly WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM

impacted the outpatient imaging services. New York metropolitan health system reported 87.0% reduction in the outpatient imaging services, thereby, expected to impact the MRI market.” Various recent advancements such as diffusion and diffusion tensor imaging with tractography, neuroimaging including MR spectroscopy, perfusion imaging and functional imaging using the bold technique is expected to boost market growth during the forecast period, Grand View Research adds. Also, the growing development of intraoperative MRI and usage of the same in various applications such as neurosurgery is expected to propel the market growth during the forecast period. Moreover, diffusion-weighted MR imaging is mainly used to detect stroke within 30 minutes of its occurrence. Therefore, advancements in MRI machines to enhance its usage for various applications is expected to drive the market growth during the forecast period. Mordor Intelligence also predicts MRI market growth. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) market was valued at $8 billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach $11.5 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 6.10% during the forecast period, according to Mordor Intelligence. “During the early pandemic, due to the lockdown restrictions, suspension of non-urgent scheduled visits and hospitalizations, and stringent social distancing norms, the demand for MRI imaging reduced which affected the studied market. For instance, according to the research study ‘Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Imaging Case Volumes’ published in May 2020 reported that the total imaging volume in 2020 (weeks 1-16) declined by 12.29% compared with 2019. It also reported that post-COVID-19 (weeks 10-16) revealed a greater decrease (28.10%) in imaging volumes across all patient service locations. The same source also reported that 88% decline was seen at week 16 in outpatient imaging, and MRI contributed to a nearly 74% decline which shows a negative impact of the COVID-19 on the studied market. However, owing to the long-term impact of the COVID-19 on the body and large-scale vaccination programs running around the world, the studied market is expected to regain its full potential over the years,” Mordor Intelligence reports. • ICEMAGAZINE

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Product Focus MRI

FUJIFILM Velocity

Velocity is Fujifilm’s new high-field open MRI scanner, designed to provide the optimal combination of patient-centric care and clinical performance. A unique achievement in high-field MRI, Velocity’s truly open architecture features an advanced magnet design, workflow integrated RF coils and advanced imaging capabilities to handle all patients with confidence, without compromising on performance or efficiency. Velocity brings outstanding image quality, short exam times and operator ease of use benefits to hospital and outpatient providers.

*Disclaimer: Products are listed in no particular order.

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

GE HEALTHCARE SIGNA Hero

Recently cleared by the FDA, GE Healthcare’s SIGNA Hero represents a new 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system named in honor of all the health care workers who continue caring for the global community amidst today’s COVID-19 pandemic. Offering new workflows and AIR Recon DL, SIGNA Hero is designed to help those on the frontlines meet today’s most pressing need. With superior image quality, enhanced workflows, increased productivity, improved patient comfort and greater sustainability, SIGNA Hero aims to make challenging exams simpler, turning “difficult” to “routine.”

SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS MAGNETOM Free.Max

The MAGNETOM Free.Max, is a 0.55 Tesla (0.55T) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging scanner with deep learning technologies and advanced image processing. The first and only 80 cm wide-bore system, the MAGNETOM Free.Max extends access to severely obese and claustrophobic patients and offers them an improved experience. At under 3.5 tons and less than 80 inches high, it is the most lightweight, compact whole-body MR scanner ever offered by Siemens Healthineers. Its new magnet design requires less than 1 liter of helium, contributing to reduced infrastructure and lifecycle costs. Deep Resolve algorithms perform targeted denoising and employ deep learning to deliver sharper, higher-resolution images. The scanner’s myExam Companion workflow solution incorporates artificial intelligence to help the user navigate the examination more efficiently.

For more information, visit siemens-healthineers.us/free-max.

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UNITED IMAGING uMR OMEGA

uMR OMEGA is designed to provide greater access with the world’s first 75-cm ultra-wide bore MRI. The uMR OMEGA has an industry-leading 680-pound table weight capacity, impeccable image quality provided by its world-class homogeneity, and a unique, calming in-bore lighting experience. Together, these factors enable uMR OMEGA to better accommodate bariatric patients and greatly improve the patient experience for all. With uCS 2.0 (Compressed Sensing), professionals can scan all body parts with up to 36x acceleration, enabling faster exams for patients.

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READING THE LIE OF IMAGING AI Which Way Will Deep Computing, Automated Processes Evolve Within Radiology? BY MATT SKOUFALOS

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

COVER STORY

ince the earliest notions of advancing medical imaging with technologies powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and deep computing, vendors, practitioners and hospital decision-makers have all been working to drill down on what exactly the promise of AI is, at least in the near term. From the jump, some radiologists were apprehensive that the technology had the potential to usurp their careers; when that proved to be an overstatement of the case, their focus turned to how the technology might be leveraged in the short term. Now, instead of seeing the ubiquity of high-end computing software automating the diagnostic imaging space, practitioners are waiting for the technology to deliver on some of the supposed generational leaps it was meant to promise. Today, AI-enhanced technologies are typically available mostly in vendor demonstration sites and at university-level, academic centers of excellence. Interpreting the present-day landscape for AI-based imaging technologies means marrying those visions of the future to an assessment of present-day needs, resources and opportunities for growth. Physician Ryan King, who comes from a family of radiation oncologists, is currently completing a diagnostic radiology residency at Louisiana State University-New Orleans. King also holds a master’s degree in computational science and engineering from Harvard University, and is a board advisor to AI developer Vysioneer of Boston, Massachusetts, which just received FDA approval for its proprietary tumor auto-contouring software. He has also worked as a clinical innovation

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fellow in the Center for Clinical Data Science (CCDS), a joint venture of Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals to develop and validate AI-powered medical technologies. From King’s perspective, most of the end to which he’s seen AI applied in the radiation oncology space have involved finding ways to accelerate or automate quantitative work around tumor target volumes and radiation dosimetry. AI-powered processes can help avoid damaging healthy tissue in a patient undergoing radiation therapy by auto-contouring target areas into formats that can be uploaded into various vendor software platforms for treatment planning. “The ultimate decision is still left up to the provider, but it’s a second set of eyes, a second set of hands to speed up treatment planning,” King said. “Is the lesion there? Is it not? Can you measure it accurately? These are the things that are very time-consuming from a radiology standpoint.” Yet for as effective as the best algorithmic processes are at accelerating the quantitative work that goes into treatment planning, King also cautioned that bringing them to market is a lengthy, time-consuming process. “It is real, it will make efficiency better; I don’t think it’s quite there yet,” he said. “There was this hope that it would be easy and you could put out 10 models a year, but that’s not really realistic. There’s a lot of ambiguity in imaging. It’s not just the picture, it’s the picture coupled to the clinical history of what’s going on. There’s gross pathology that nobody has incorporated into their clinical methodology.” Despite initial hopes that AI technologies would be able to very easily support radiology applications, King said the process has

been slowed by necessary work in clinical relevance and validation, to say nothing of the hurdles presented by the data siloing that keeps algorithms from as being broadly applicable as possible. Part of the reason he pursued a radiology specialty is to be able to help identify areas of medical imaging in which AI might be most applicable. “The current paradigm is, you get an expert to annotate some images for you, plug them into an algorithm, and learn the features that contribute to that pathology, and that’s obviously very time-consuming,” King said. “Someone gets paid a lot of money to contour those things, and it’s extremely limited. That’s not what we do as radiologists.” Although King believes diagnostic AI may be a scientific eventuality, he’s not optimistic that it will happen within the near term, if only because the work behind it will require the incorporation of genomics and individually tailored medicine “as opposed to a simple, imaged-based revolution of deep learning in radiology.” “These things eventually will arrive, it’s just not going to be as straightforward as creating a tech app that can immediately change how we interact,” he said. “You’re going to need years of validation.” Ron Muscosky, worldwide product line manager at Rochester, New York-based medical imaging vendor, Carestream, said that the efficacy of AI applications in radiology will be measured in whether they provide “actionable results” and “solve real problems.” Carestream is focused on products that deliver what Muscosky termed “imaging intelligence” and “workflow intelligence,” processes centered on improved image quality and workflow efficiency. “We were looking to figure out what problems we should be solving,” he said. “We talked to a

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COVER STORY

RYAN KING

DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY RESIDENT

lot of our customers to find out, ‘What are your pain points?’ It happens that AI works well for some of these, and for others, it doesn’t.” “I think AI is over-used from a terminology perspective,” Muscosky said. “AI is useful when you’re trying to solve a repetitive problem or a repetitive operation. You can train your models to be very accurate; when you have a lot of variation, it doesn’t work very well.” Among the Carestream imaging intelligence technologies in use today is a bone suppression algorithm that suppresses the appearance of bone and enhances the visualization of soft tissue. Another is “Smart Noise Cancellation,” which uses deep learning technology to separate the noise from the signal and subtract that noise from the image.

“If the tech wanted to distance themselves from a contagious patient, Smart Room would allow them do so,” Muscosky said. “Or, for other technologists that prefer to spend more time with the patient, Smart Room would allow them to spend less time adjusting the equipment and more time with the patient.” Part of the challenge in increasing market availability for AI-powered technologies is the fact that much of the advantages that they promise are confined to middle-of-the-system or backend integrations. Most of the automated processes that AI technologies support may not ever show through to the patient experience, even if they offer passthrough benefits that enhance treatment outcomes or ease the overall process of image acquisition.

“ Where the AI sits and what it does to support the workflow is a big component, and has to be proven before it’s implemented.” –Jef Williams JEF WILLAMS MANAGING PARTNER, PARAGON CONSULTING PARTNERS

RON MUSCOSKY WORLDWIDE PRODUCT LINE MANAGER AT CARESTREAM

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

“If a facility wants to lower their dose, it allows the facility to do so without a loss in image quality,” Muscosky said. “Smart Noise Cancellation is used every day, on every image that people are acquiring, and fits right in with current workflow.” On the workflow intelligence side, Muscosky described the AI enhancements that comprise the Carestream “Smart Room,” a suite designed to support radiographer workflow needs by eliminating repetitive tasks. Assistive imaging technologies can be used to automate collimation to deliver a targeted dose of radiation that limits radiation exposure risks to healthy tissue. They can also be used to automate fine-tuning of the equipment position relative to patient height, while providing corrective feedback to the technologist on the patient pose and position. This can save technologists time, help provide consistent imaging, reduce retakes, and improve infection control in the event of imaging a contagious patient, such as during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“At this time, a facility is going to experience more of an operational savings,” Muscosky said; “a better diagnosis, a more confident diagnosis. The benefits of AI are more focused on the facility as opposed to the patient. When you look forward, AI could be used for predictive diagnosis; this could lead to earlier treatment of the patient before a small issue becomes a large one. But I think we’re still years away from that.” Muscosky also believes that AI technologies can help enhance decision-support tools in critical care areas. By speeding image acquisition time, or offering a more readily studied image within the viewer of a given modality, they might deliver actionable results to an ICU or trauma center physician without the necessity of waiting for a radiologist to read them. However, when a radiologist is sitting in a reading room with those same tools, he believes that physician may be more reluctant to use them versus trusting his own assessment of the situation, provided time is less of a factor. “I think it depends upon what area you’re looking at,” Muscosky said. “Image

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

COVER STORY

processing and noise cancellation are built into the workflow, and they’re going to be more prominent; some people may not even know they’re built into their workflow, and it’s assisting them. I think as you get to decision support and automatic positioning of equipment, it’s going to take a little more time for adoption.” Muscosky also believes that AI manufacturers are learning at the same time that their algorithms are, working to decipher where throughout the imaging process automation can offer the greatest value for their physician customers. Bottlenecks – from development costs to validation studies to availability of raw materials to market acceptance – notwithstanding, he predicts that the most significant remaining challenges are those illustrating the value that customers will realize from implementing AI products. “The areas we’re working on now are more helpers,” he said: “reducing time to acquire an exam, reducing the number of retakes. As every facility has to make due with less people and have more patient throughput to be able to keep their business running, it’s important to be able to optimize the use of their radiographers’ time, and physicians’ time as well. Jef Williams, managing partner of Paragon Consulting Partners of Sacramento, California, said that AI-powered technologies remain in a limited adoption cycle for reasons beyond the capa-

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bilities of the technology itself. Whether in academic medical centers that have the ability to leverage university-level computer and data science programs to help them build proprietary algorithms, or in a startup environment replete with private-equity cash, Williams sees the technology maturing. The challenge that remains is developing a revenue model that allows other organizations to adopt AI functionality within their workflow, which he described as “still a big hurdle in a lot of organizations.” “Who’s going to pay for it?” Williams said. “Does it have an ROI? Whether it’s supporting alleviation of radiologist burnout, or it’s helping to prioritize studies to read in a worklist, there’s definitely some use cases out there that people are starting to take and run with, but the revenue model is still the biggest hurdle to overcome.” Beyond simply finding ways to pay for the technology, Williams believes another significant barrier to overcome before AI becomes more ubiquitous in the imaging space is resolving its workflow impact. Even if the programs or modules that hit the market deliver proven outcomes that prove advantageous, they don’t necessarily fit into the radiologist’s workflow, he said. “Where the AI sits and what it does to support the workflow is a big component, and has to be proven before it’s implemented,” Williams said. Early adopters of AI primarily have found use cases for the technology that

Williams described as “pixel-centric, or study/image-centric,” but he believes breakthrough opportunities remain to be unlocked in patient throughput, image generation and scheduling – namely, the processes that deliver a patient through all the stakeholders in the process of performing an imaging study. “Right now, with so many people leaving the workforce for one reason or another, we’re all dealing with this staffing constraint,” Williams said. “We rely on staff to support a lot of manual workflows, and we’ll probably see a lot of movement in that space to support greater automation.” “In the U.S., we certainly have a burnout issue and an overwork issue, but we don’t have a true physician shortage yet,” he said. “That could become a factor if we have to account for some component of AI to support the number of exams in a radiologist’s workflow versus the radiologists available to support some of these exams.” More than likely, Williams believes, AI-powered technologies won’t become widely adopted until their automated functionalities become more seamlessly integrated within other components of medical imaging equipment – and he doesn’t see that happening to such a broad degree unless, or until, the federal government decides to make it a priority by authorizing additional funding or reimbursement dollars to such ends. “In our current models, I think the lever that would have the most power in moving this would probably be the federal government,” Williams said. “It’s really hard to bake any more functionality into the technology we’re currently consuming without increasing the price of it. It’s not like the PACS vendors or the diagnostic imaging companies have a lot of margin where they can play with it; if we can’t get it that way, then we have to get it from reimbursement models.” “What are the things that everyone wants to see done better and which can be handled by technology?” he asked. “That’s where we’re going to see the greatest adoption of AI in our industry.” •

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INSIGHTS

DIRECTOR’S CUT BY BETH ALLEN

NEXT IMAGING STAR MAY ALREADY BE ON YOUR TEAM

t isn’t just technologists that keep the medical imaging department afloat. We have a need for talented ancillary staff that are efficient and compassionate. A cohesive team is the best approach. By incorporating positions that will allow technologists to take care of the work that requires their expertise and training others to perform the other tasks, we will become more efficient while also making sure that we are able to give personalized attention to each of our patients. Whether it is our medical imaging assistant team or our patient access team at the front desk, they are essential for providing the patient experience that we are hoping to achieve. Often these talented folks work to become technologists or organizational leaders. They bring real life, patient-forward experience to their next role that cannot be learned in a book. There have been many articles written recently about the technologist shortage and strategies to recruit to fill our staffing needs. We are partnered with college programs to be able to create relationships with student technologists before they even start their career. This allows us to set expectations, identify those that will fit well into our culture and provide exemplary care to our patients. Often the next great tech is already employed by us. We have had several employees that started in a medical imaging support position evolve into a rad tech, MRI tech, CT tech, US tech, a manager, a RIS system administrator or IT senior director. We have examples in each of those categories within Banner Imaging. 40

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Imaging is one of those unique fields that no one really knows about until they get their feet wet. People may become curious about imaging by knowing someone that already works in radiology, through being a patient, reading an interesting technology article or just looking for a steady job with benefits. When we are recruiting for support positions, we should be looking for those curious about how they can achieve more. It may take time for someone new to imaging to figure out this is something they would like to pursue. We all know that some days are better than others. But as a person becomes more comfortable in their position and the more time spent in a particular modality, it may become clear that this is something that would be rewarding to grow into. Students that graduate from a program that we have a partnership with but started as one of our own, will have a leg up to new graduates that do not have that previous clinical experience. That is something that can’t be taken away no matter where you end up next. We should encourage those rock stars on our team to pursue the next step and celebrate with them when they are successful. Some educational programs have special consideration for employees of clinical partners so they can move up a wait list to begin a program. This can be advantageous for not only the student but the employer as they are able to potentially rehire an already good employee in a new role. It may be an enticement that fills those support positions as a quicker way to achieve a goal of becoming an imaging professional. When we celebrate Rad Tech Week, we celebrate ALL our team members. We want to make sure that every person in every position understands they are essential to take care of ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

our patients, providers and each other. When things go well, we can share the credit. When things don’t go quite as well, we can support each other and help to learn how to handle stressful situations better. I feel so fortunate to have found a career in medical imaging. It is such an incredible mix of all that is exciting and intriguing about health care. We have the science, the technology and the human interaction. We have the opportunity to make a difference all while we are constantly learning. The best part of it is that it all moves so quickly we don’t have time to get bored. I often say that every day is the same, but every day is different. If you have team members with high potential to grow, I encourage you to plant the seed. Allow them to fill stretch assignments or shadow in an area they are interested in. Discuss what opportunities are available and identify how this is beneficial to your department and to the individual. These could be life changing conversations. It is about tuning into our team

and figuring out the best way to achieve success for all of us. I am tired of hearing “think outside the box” so I will use an idea from a comedian popular in the 1980s, Gallagher. He had a bit about how his baby daughter inspired him to see things with “new eyes.” It is true that if you look at things from a new perspective, as though you have never seen them before, you may find something that you did not realize was there. Maybe there is a team member in a support position that would benefit from looking with new eyes at the opportunities available to them. It may be something they never considered before. By looking with new eyes, we may discover creative solutions to many problems. Forget thinking outside the box. That baby with new eyes sees that box as a fascinating new toy. We can turn that box into whatever we want it to be. Thanks for all you do! • Beth Allen, RT(R)(CT), CRA, is the director, clinical operations at Banner Imaging.

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INSIGHTS

HAPPY RADIOLOGIST AND IMAGING AI PACS/IT

BY MARK WATTS

ask you; would you be happy with a spell check that only worked on words that began with the letter “A”? Imagine how frustrating this would be?” This quote came to me from the founder of a comprehensive AI solution. The term comprehensive is his. I like the term wide AI, as in wide useful, meaningful assistance when and where I need it. Do not bug me the rest of the time because I am too busy. I need to concentrate and focus. If an imaging director went to a radiologist and said, “Hey look at me, I converted an AI algorithm from a foreign national defense tracking system to reduce the emergency room turnaround time for a small population.” The radiologist would say, “I am drowning in a work list and do not have time for this.” The imaging community is asking why AI has not reached acceptance in radiology workflow? I think it’s not the lack of return on investment as some have speculated. My opinion is that the blame falls on the limited offerings that are available on the market. The successful brands in imaging AI are here. These products are not IT companies building products hoping to find a market, but clinicians building solutions that solve problems for other clinicians (think about your critical values communication list from the ACR). Those that can identify multiple customers’ needs in the moment, and respond to those needs with thoughtful, personalized solutions are the ones that will make it. This is the micro-moment and personalization trend – and it’s going to be huge. What is this trend all about? These days, what do most of us do when we want to do, buy or know something? We reach for our phones or tablets. These intent-rich moments – precise moments when a person picks up their device looking for information, to find a local business, to complete a task or simply to buy something – are what Google refers to as “micro-moments.” (This trend is also referred to as “catch me in seconds.”) Basically, for whatever we want at any given moment we turn to our devices for instant solutions. And those brands of radiology solution providers that can deliver instant solutions – be it information, prod-

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

ucts or whatever – are the ones that will thrive in the future. Not one that offers a one-trick pony. Those one-trick ponies are what I call and see as narrow AI. Look for one product that identify, say over 100 findings and has a growing portfolio of products and, unlike Max Q, has the ability to stay in business. You want happy radiologists? According to Accenture (which refers to micro-moments as “momentary markets”), radiologist agree real-time (or near real-time) delivery is the next big wave of competitive advantage. In other words, business success is no longer just about capturing markets; it’s about capturing moments. In essence, this means radiology solution businesses need to be right there when those crucial, intent-rich moments occur. This, in turn, means being able to anticipate those moments using data and analytics. Having done that, imaging AI businesses need to prove themselves useful in those crucial moments by quickly connecting radiologists/hospitals with whatever it is they’re after. That’s not all, though. As well as catching customers when they need something most, and instantly meeting that need, brands must also provide personal experience, such as personalized search results, recommendations or customized products based on location (emergency departments, ICU, cancer centers, outpatient clinics), clinical urgency and provider subspecialty. Can I turn the AI advice off on some conditions and on in certain locations as a care standard for a system? Can I use this data to prove to insurance companies I do quality work during rate negotiation? I believe the imaging AI market is working as all efficient capitalistic markets do. The growth in the market will occur when the radiologist and hospital system see the value of the products. I am here to help you find the correct solution for your team. I wish you luck in your wide, multiple valuable finding imaging AI solution search. Radiologists deserve the best solution available to assist them. I think you may be able to find a great solution even with a spellcheck that only works on words that start with “A. • Mark Watts is an experienced imaging professional who founded an AI company called Zenlike.ai.

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INSIGHTS

RAD HR

BY KIAHNNA PATTON

FOUR FEET– THE POWER OF SMALL SHIFTS

moved my desk four feet to the left, and wow, my world changed. A four-foot movement doesn’t sound like a big deal, yet it was a shift that changed my perspective, boosted my productivity and shifted my paradigm. I saw things so differently. With a four-foot move, I figuratively worked at a different company and felt the freedom of a new opportunity. In the world of work, we sometimes get consumed with the thought that to make the most impact, we have to make monumental changes like reorganizing a department, starting or ending a piece of business, laying off employees or changing jobs. I’m no stranger to thinking, “What am I doing if I’m not completely transforming something?” There is space for large-scale changes. In this column, I want to focus here on the small ones we sometimes miss the impact of. At the time of this writing, I am going through significant career and personal changes. I’d left my work-from-home job and was taking time to recover from a very traumatic experience. True to my personality, I was looking to make a major change to what was my office dedicated to a particular company. While I considered painting walls, buying new furniture, and massive reorganization, I stayed clear of that room. Initially, it was unconscious. The only occupant had been my robot vacuum, whose “footprints” were still on the floor. My mind was signaling that that room was the company I left, and I stayed away because I didn’t work there anymore. As I thought about what my office needed to be for me, I jotted down a rudimentary new layout on scrap paper. Next, when inspiration and energy hit, I moved a small blue bookcase from the left side of the desk to the right. No major shift happened for me, especially since I wasn’t convinced it was the proper placement. Then, about a week later, on a whim I walked into the room and pushed my seemWWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM

ingly one-thousand-pound white electric sit-to-stand desk four feet to the left. Something amazing happened. The window the desk sat in front of looked different and better. My mind felt clearer, my eyes opened wider, my breathing steadied and I felt a sense of safety I’d lost not long before. I let go of what this space once represented, and it became my sanctuary where I continue to get important work done. Moving my desk four feet made me reconsider what I constitute as actions that inspire major changes and shifts in perspective. It made me think about how powerful even the most minor modification can be. Previously, I was convinced I had to do drastic things like cut off all of my hair or move to a different state to feel the weight and significance of a change. Don’t get me wrong, those things worked but are not always necessary, nor are they feasible for everyone. Consider the small changes you might make that would change your life or someone else’s in a significant way. Changes that would impact the people you lead in a positive way. Changes that would make you see your career differently or inspire creativity. Changes that would make you look at work differently. Changes that would make you respond differently to adversity. You might: • take a breath before you respond to someone; • turn off your technology alerts, so you don’t hear all the dings and pings during a meeting with your direct report; • put something on your desk that reminds you how amazing you are; • open the blinds and let a little light in; or • move your desk four feet to the left. I acknowledge that “small” is relative, so know that whatever works for you is what’s perfect. Happy shifting! • Kiahnna D. Patton is human resources professional with experience in the health care sector as well as a nonprofit founder.

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INSIGHTS

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE BY DANIEL BOBINSKI

SOCIAL MEDIA, POLITENESS AND YOU

recent study showed some interesting numbers regarding social media at work. Apparently, 80 percent of workers use social media in some way in the workplace, but only 27 percent use it actively for their jobs. That said, fully 50 percent of people make posts about what’s going on at their company. As the workforce continues to incorporate younger, more technologically savvy employees, these number will only go up. At question is what to do with this information? In the world of online communications, social media is an interesting phenomenon. Since it’s not going away, it’s probably a good idea to discuss some dos and don’ts. Let’s start with a major don’t. Don’t say anything online that you would never say face-to-face. With just a cursory glance, it doesn’t take long to find people saying things online that they would never say in a face-to-face conversation. It amazes me the brashness and outright rudeness I see in online comments. To compare how this plays out versus how it should play out, let’s use Facebook as an example. If you were on Facebook prior to 2011, what is now called your “page” with a “news feed” used to be called a “wall.” I loved the analogy. I equated it to a wall in my own home where people I invited in could see what I thought was important enough to put up so people visiting my home could see it. And, just like inviting people into my real home to see my real walls, with Facebook, people could see what I placed on my virtual wall. Even with the shift to a news feed, if people agree with what I post there, they might write a comment or click the “like” button. I equate people clicking “like” to someone

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

nodding in agreement with what they see. If people disagree with what I post, they can politely not say anything and move along. At least, that is what one might expect from someone displaying good manners. After all, it’s how one should act in real life. If you’re at someone’s house and you see something with which you disagree, you (hopefully) don’t blatantly challenge people on it, nor belittle them, nor call them narrow-minded fear-mongerers, misguided souls or any other name. If showing respect is a value to which you ascribe, allow me to strongly encourage you to practice the same etiquette when online. Let’s also consider a major do: Follow your company’s social media policy. And, if you have a say in it, make sure your company has a policy for Internet use that includes the use of social media. As mentioned earlier, the number of people using social media at work is growing, thus, so will the number of people who believe they can say or do anything online – even while at work. If your company has a social media policy, this problem can be minimized, but this only happens if everyone knows about the policy. As much as people might not like them, these policies should be reviewed and discussed with some level of regularity. Consider the man who thought he was being loyal to his company by criticizing his company’s competitors in an online forum. One day his supervisor learned of his posts and decided they didn’t want people being disrespectful, no matter, so he ended up firing the man. This didn’t have to happen if a social media policy was in place and understood by the employees. Even if you’re not in a position to enact such a policy, it

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

is wise to advocate for them. Research shows that when employees are aware of their company’s social media policy, fewer employees misuse social media. Another do: Remember that what you post is permanent. As the saying goes, the Internet is forever. Venting about a frustrating experience may be cathartic at the moment, but those things stick around. For example, I once read a story about an employee who took to social media to complain about her low salary and the tough time she was having making ends meet. Mixed into that rant was a singular comment about the owner of the company. As thing go, the owner of the company ended up seeing the woman’s rant. He decided he didn’t like the comment nor the fact that she put his company in a bad light, and the next week she didn’t have a job. Another do: Pay attention to how people interpret online communications. You could also think of it this way: anything you post online or in a chat can and will be used against you. And it can be used against you even if you think it’s inert. I remember reading about a woman who nearly lost her job because she responded to a request from her boss by using the “OK” hand emoji. In her mind, she was letting him know she received the instruction. In his mind, using an

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emoji to respond to a superior was bad enough, but at the time, the “OK” hand sign was rumored to be a symbol of white supremacy, so he thought her use of that particular emoji was also offensive. Also, unlike writing on a singular piece of paper that can be in only one place at a time, things posted online can literally be seen around the world in a matter of moments. Even in similar cultures, people have communication filters that can scramble otherwise innocent meanings. Working internationally adds additional filters that make things even more complicated. Bottom line, like anything else, social media can be a blessing or a curse, and dangers are found in places you might not expect. The Internet is still a new and growing universe, and it appears social media will always be an important part of it. Be careful. • Daniel Bobinski, who has a doctorate in theology, is a best-selling author and a popular speaker at conferences and retreats. For more than 30 years he’s been working with teams and individuals (1:1 coaching) to help them achieve excellence. He was also teaching Emotional Intelligence since before it was a thing. Reach him by email at DanielBobinski@protonmail.com or 208-375-7606.

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INSIGHTS

HEADER COLUMN NAME BYLINE

MANAGING MEDICAL ERRORS, LEARNING FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES

very process that involves humans is vulnerable to mistakes. Every industry experiences errors. Do you wonder how this impacts our daily lives? Here are a few examples:

CHEW ON THIS BY KEITH E. CHEW

• 90% of cyber-attacks are caused by a human initiated error • Human-initiated accidents cause 70% of all data center outages • Boeing says that 80% of all airplane accidents are the result of human error • 250,000 deaths each year are caused by human medical error These statistics are eye-opening and naturally lead to the question, how can we mitigate human error?

HEALTH CARE IS AN INDUSTRY OF HUMANS Unlike technology-driven industries, health care relies on humans and their expertise to 48

ICEMAGAZINE | JUNE 2022

provide lifesaving medical care. According to the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS), during that year there were 22 million workers in the health care industry, and this number grows every year. With health care being a high human touch industry, it’s no surprise that errors occur. Why do errors happen? There are many things that increase the risk of error, workload, time of day, being hungry, local distractions and noise, time pressures, and clinical skill level can all play a role. As health care professionals, it’s incumbent on each of us to look outside of our immediate work environment and learn from other industries and experts. Medical errors are the third leading cause of death and account for nearly 250,000 fatalities annually. Errors can occur in any health care setting and at any point in the care process. The U.S. health care system is stretched thin; health care professionals are stressed and facing burnout. Providing patients with the best ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

possible care is always the goal but can be challenging, given the current environment. Preventable medical errors affect up to 7 million patients and cost over $20 billion each year, but the cost is more than just financial. Medical errors compromise patient care and can lead to poor patient outcomes and even death.

DEFINING MEDICAL ERROR Medical errors are preventable, adverse effects of receiving medical care. While there is some debate around the definition of a medical error vs. a discrepancy, two major types of errors should be noted: • Errors of omission occur as a result of actions not taken. An example would be failing to prescribe a proven medication with significant benefits for an eligible patient. • Errors of commission occur as a result of incorrect action taken. An example is prescribing a medication for a patient with a known allergy to the drug. An RSNA journal article highlights the significant challenge of diagnostic error, estimating the rate of missed, incorrect, or delayed diagnoses to be as high as 10% to 15%. It’s estimated that one billion radiologic examinations were performed worldwide in 2015, and most were reviewed and interpreted by a radiologist. Given these numbers and the current state of the U.S. health care system, some errors are inevitable.

LOOKING OUTSIDE OF HEALTH CARE FOR STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE ERRORS We find different ways to reduce and address errors as we look across industries. Strategies include checklists, confidential error reporting systems, education and peer learning programs. For example, the airline industry has a reporting system similar to the Patient Safety Organization (PSO) program. Technology, such as artificial intelligence, is used by the credit card industry to rapidly review a large volume of tractions that would not be manageable by humans alone. The energy industry uses a peer review process to understand and learn from human mistakes. In this five-part series, we’ll explore error mitigation strategies that have been proven successful in other industries. Then, looking through the health care lens, we’ll assess the role artificial intelligence can play in equipping health care professionals with tools that improve accuracy and function as a safety net. Health systems can leverage cross-industry learnings by asking a few questions: • What other industries deal with errors that could result in life-threatening situations? • How is technology helping different industries improve accuracy and manage large volumes of data? • What role does education play in managing medical errors? Join us next month as the series continues and we look to the credit card industry for ways to manage errors. • Keith E. Chew, MHA, CMPE, FRBMA, is a principal with Consulting with Integrity.

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INSIGHTS

THE ROMAN REVIEW MANNY ROMAN

IF ONLY I HAD…

recent conversation with a friend took an uncharacteristically serious turn recently. He divulged a long-standing regret that apparently was more prominent on his mind recently. He was visibly saddened by the result of an incident that transpired many years before. I listened with sympathy and empathy and realized that he had no control over the outcome of the event. I then pondered on what qualifies as a regret. In the dictionary and thesaurus, the word contains instances of events where we had influence and maybe control and instances where things just happened and we are sad about it. I decided to search more deeply. Daniel Pink, author and motivation expert, conducts a wonderfully informational ted.com presentation titled “4 kinds of regret – and what they teach you about yourself.” It is based on his analysis of over 16,000 regrets he collected from people in 105 countries and nearly 4,500 Americans. 82% of the respondents said they think about their life and wish they had done things differently at least occasionally and half of those think about it frequently or all the time. At this time, it is important to disconnect regret from disappointment. Both emerge when an outcome is not what we wanted. Disappointment is when you believe that the outcome was outside your control. With regret, you believe the outcome was caused by your decisions or actions – it’s your fault, you had choices and made the wrong one. An example he gives is that a kid loses a tooth and places it under his pillow. The next morning the tooth is still there. The kid is disappointed. The parents regret not providing the expected exchange of a dollar for a tooth. A result of the survey is that regrets can be placed into four categories. Each category provides the opportunity to learn a key lesson. Foundation Regrets (If only I had done the work) This is the not saving enough money and not taking care of your health type of regrets. These are the failures to be responsible, the “if only I had done the work” regrets. The types of things that allow for a stable platform for life. Boldness Regrets (If only I had taken the chance) This is the not speaking up, and the not starting that WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM

business, and the not asking her out type of regret. These are the “if only I had taken a chance” regrets. The I wish I had not done that rather than I wish I had. People regret not taking the chance more than having taken the chance and failed. Moral Regrets (If only I had done the right thing) This the not having the courage to do the right thing, not taking others into consideration type of regret, the “If only I had done the right thing” regrets. Having a well-defined value system will guide you towards doing the “right thing.” Connection Regrets (If only I had reached out) This is when you have or should have a relationship that comes apart, often by merely drifting apart, and you have done nothing about it. You think it will be awkward to reach out and the other party will not care. These are the “If only I had reached out” regrets. So, what to do? Regrets are a negative of life so understanding what we regret the most is understanding what we value the most. We need stability, we want to learn and grow, we want to do the right thing, and we want to have strong connections with others. Regrets demonstrate the way to a good life and can guide us into the future. We need to reframe the regrets so we can learn from them. First be compassionate and kind to yourself. Second, disclose it to yourself or others. Disclosure relieves some of the burden, provides concrete definition and “defangs” the regret. Mr. Pink says that “when we disclose our vulnerabilities and our weaknesses, people don’t like us less, they actually like us more.” In grade school, there was a guy who sold candy to the kids near the school. He sometimes sold it on credit. I regret that I left Puerto Rico as a 10-year-old without having paid the two or three cents that I owed. As dumb as that may sound to you, it has bothered me deeply and often. Regrets are highly personal. Do you like me more now? Finally, extract a lesson from the regrets. Use them to enhance future decisions and actions. Yogi Berra is credited with saying, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Attach the following to that, “Use your regrets to help you choose the correct fork, for you.” • Manny Roman, CRES, is association business operations manager at Association of Medical Service Providers.

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Science Matters

Powerful drugs with names ending ‘-mab’

Grown with modified immunity cells

Unlike conventional chemically synthesized drugs, monoclonal antibodies are produced by specifically programmed germ-killing cells

“Monoclonal antibodies” are a new generation of drugs more effective for treating some serious conditions than standard medications.

Mouse is infected with virus Immune cells from spleen (1) are fused with cancer (lymphoma) cells (2) and they grow rapidly

Antibodies from those cells are purified, used as a medicine against the virus (5)

Protein spikes bond to human cells

Some of the -mab drug family

Monoclonal antibody

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Bebtelovimab attacks the outer protein spikes of the COVID-19 virus

SCIENCE COVID MATTERS virus

Immune cells that produce desired antibody (3) are grown in a cell culture (4)

A COVID treatment

For cancer: alemtuzumab bevacizumab cetuximab gemtuzumab ozogamicin ipilimumab nivolumab ofatumumab panitumumab pembrolizumab ranibizumab rituximab trastuzumab pertuzumab bevacizumab rituximab

For inflammation or autoimmune disease: inflixim adalimumab ustekinumab basiliximab daclizumab omalizumab For COVID infection: casirivimab / imdevimab bamlanivimab / etesevimab sotrovimab

For cancer and hepatitis: bavituximab

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ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

ICE Magazine June 2022

Articles inside

Roman Review

Chew On This

Rad HR

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