AUGUST 2022 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 8
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ADVANCING
IMAGING PROFESSIONALS
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE PAGE 30
THE ROLE OF CAPITAL PLANNING IN SMART GROWTH
PAGE 25
PRODUCT FOCUS Artificial Intelligence (AI)
OFF THE CLOCK Dennis Chaltraw PAGE 16
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FEATURES
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DIRECTOR’S CUT
AHRA Forum and planning prevents panic amid contrast shortage.
30 COVER STORY
The weight of discussions about the acquisition of medical imaging equipment should include the physical environment in which devices will be housed.
21
RISING STAR
Nelida Trout-Lacy, R.T. (MR)(ARRT), is the radiology manager at Watsonville Community Hospital in California.
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ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
AUGUST 2022
18 IMAGING NEWS
Catch up on the latest news from around the diagnostic imaging world.
25 PRODUCT FOCUS
The global AI in medical imaging market is expected to grow significantly over the next 5 years.
42
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Tips for being a better leader in your organization.
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CONTENTS MD Publishing 1015 Tyrone Rd. Ste. 120 Tyrone, GA 30290 Phone: 800-906-3373
SPOTLIGHT
10
In Focus Krissie D. Stich, MBA, R.T. (R), Radiology Director
12
Rising Star Nelida Trout-Lacy, R.T. (MR)(ARRT)
Kristin Leavoy kristin@mdpublishing.com
14
Rad Idea Traci Foster, CRA, MSRA, RT(R) ARRT
Group Publisher
16
Off the Clock Dennis Chaltraw, Director of Revenue Cycle Management, Oregon Imaging Centers
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
Events
NEWS
18
Imaging News A Look at What’s Changing in the Imaging Industry
22
Webinars Webinars Deliver Valuable Insights
Kristin Leavoy
Webinars
webinar@mdpublishing.com
Digital Department Cindy Galindo Kennedy Krieg
PRODUCTS
24 25
Accounting Diane Costea
Editorial Board
Manny Roman Christopher Nowak Jef Williams Josh Laberee Jason Theadore Nicole Walton-Trujillo
ICE Magazine (Vol. 6, Issue #8) August 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
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Market Report
Product Focus Artificial Intelligence (AI)
INSIGHTS
36
Director’s Cut What’s Next?
38
PACS/IT How to Skill Up for Medical Imaging AI
40
Chew on This Health Care Can Learn From Airline Industry
42
Emotional Intelligence A Manager’s Quick Reference Guide
45
Roman Review If You Are Not the Lead Dog
48 50 52 54
AMSP Member Directory ICE Break AHRA Scrapbook
Index
ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
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SPOTLIGHT
IN FOCUS KRISSIE D. STICH
BY JOHN WALLACE
K
rissie D. Stich, MBA, R.T. (R), is the Radiology Director, East Market, University Hospitals. Her career path can be at least partially attributed to her participating in youth athletics.
Krissie D. Stich enjoys developing teams and leading by example.
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“I was very active in both fastpitch softball and volleyball growing up and had my fair share of injuries. I felt like I could have performed my own X-rays by my senior year! Radiology always impressed me and intrigued me to want to know more,” Stich explains. Her decision to enter the diagnostic imaging field is a home run! “My greatest accomplishment would be finishing my MBA in 2018 and being in the exact role that I am currently in. I absolutely love my new role and cannot wait to see what the future holds with
the challenges and accomplishments,” she says. When asked why she loves her job, Stich says, “Because every day we make a difference in the life of a patient. We are all here for the same reason day after day. My role just plays a bigger part in the behind-the-scenes satisfaction for patients,” she adds. “I have been with UH 21 years and enjoy my job every day!” As a leader within the imaging realm, Stitch likes to think that a part of her role is to help develop the next generation of leaders. She describes her leadership style as one where she models how to be successful and lifts others up along the way. “Leading by example and developing teams to be successful. I am the leader that truly cares about helping to develop the next leaders in our organization. No one can be a great leader unless you truly
ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
Krissie D. Stich talks with members of the imaging team.
care about the success of everyone else on the team,” Stich says. “With recent changes to the radiology leadership structure at UH, we have quite a few new managers. I am enjoying being a mentor for them.” In short, she has benefitted from the advice of mentors and hopes to serve as a positive example to others. “Over the years, I have had one particular mentor, Claudia Kraly, who has since retired from her role at UH. She was the director of radiology for mainly CMC, but helped with the regional sites as much as she could. She contributed to my success for always listening and providing an
ear when needed. She also included me with networking opportunities and areas for improvement and additional leadership experience,” Stich says. “I have learned quite a bit with my overall leadership skills as well as not being afraid to speak up as a woman in a leadership role. Mentors help you truly become more confident in yourself as a leader. You develop strong leadership skills, gain new perspectives and the lessons you teach in return can also serve as reminders to yourself to follow your own good advice!” “I currently am mentoring new radiology managers that were recently promoted from supervisor roles. I am
KRISSIE D. STITCH MBA, R.T. (R)
1. What is the last book you read? Or, what book are you reading currently? “The 4 Disciplines of Execution” 2. Favorite movie? “Dirty Dancing” 3. What is something most of your coworkers don’t know
excited to share my best practices and help them to grow and become better leaders: Trisha Majette, Angela Meyer, Anne Tucker and Brook Underwood,” she adds. Away from work, Stitch is a leadership partner for another very important team. “My husband, Kevin, and I have been married for almost 16 years. We have three children who are all grown up and on their own. We recently became grandparents in March 2022; and RJ is now our entire life,” Stich says. “We are so in love and spend as much time as possible with him. I am also a proud fur mama of dogs and cats.” •
5. What is one thing you do every morning to start your day? Drink lots of coffee. 6. Best advice you ever received? You make your own choices in life and your life is your responsibility. 7. Who has had the biggest influence on your life? My mother 8. What would your superpower be? X-ray vision
about you? We live on three acres and truly enjoy the peace
9. What are your hobbies? Family time especially with our
and quiet. We enjoy the country feeling and the privacy.
new grandson, RJ; and being outside every chance I get.
4. Who is your mentor? Claudia Kraly, retired from radiology
10. What is your perfect meal? Any type of macaroni and cheese
director role at UH CMC
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ICEMAGAZINE
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SPOTLIGHT
RISING
STAR NELIDA TROUT-LACY BY JOHN WALLACE
N
elida Trout-Lacy, R.T. (MR)(ARRT), holds a bachelor’s degree in diagnostic imaging and is the radiology manager at Watsonville Community Hospital in California. Her imaging journey began, and continues to be fueled by her amazement of physics. “Honestly, I am still amazed at how physics work to produce an image. To see someone’s anatomy from the inside out. I am amazed at how images are produced not only to see anatomy but physiology through nuclear medicine. I am excited to see how technology will continue to expand to better serve our patients’ diagnostic needs,” Trout-Lacy said. It is a journey that has not been easy, but it is rewarding. ICE recently found out more about this rising star via a question-and-answer session.
Nelida Trout-Lacy hopes to become an imaging director in the next five years.
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Q: WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? OR, WHERE ARE YOU FROM? A: I am originally from Mazatlán, Mexico and grew up in the rural community of Watsonville, California. Q: WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR IMAGING TRAINING/ EDUCATION? A: In June of 2019, I received my Associates of Science degree in MRI. I quickly enrolled in the Bachelor’s of Science in diag-
ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
nostic imaging program with an emphasis in leadership and completed the course in August of 2021.
right place, at the right time. I joined the leadership team right after graduation and it has been a humbling experience indeed. Every day, I am presented with opportunities to learn something new. For example, I recently experienced my first CDPH, and MQSA inspection and am going through my first ACR for MRI. All of course perfectly executed surveys … mmmmm … yeah, no! Despite the unknown variable encountered with any new obstacle, I have been able to see growth through every challenge. I am grateful to God that I have been given this opportunity. Going forward, I hope I can help others reach their goals as so many before me guided me toward achieving mine.
Q: HOW DID YOU FIRST DECIDE TO START WORKING IN IMAGING? A: I decided to begin my career in imaging back in 1999. I was employed as a radiology clerk then moved up to radiology tech assistant where my passion for imaging developed as I saw students go through rotations at our facility and further develop their skills. I was introduced to the different branches of imaging and the technology aspect within the field of MRI enticed me. At this point in my life, I was a young mother, and I did not feel it was feasible for me to pursue a career in diagnostic imaging. However, layoffs Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR POSITION? within our department gave me the time and opportunity A: I am excited when I see my team’s patients thank them to return to school. This is when I was introduced to the MRI for being treated well. It is important to me to remember to program at Gurnick Academy treat our patients not as a procedure but as a person who Frankly, the situation was less than perfect. The first needs the best care we can provide. I get excited to see semester of the program I was in the middle of a divorce, my team flourish. Our hospital and department are going and I was recovering from back surgery. Time was limited through challenges, but seeing the team join forces really and I even found myself doing homework while admitted for encourages me to do all I can to lead them into an environback surgery. Life only continued to grow more complicated ment they want to continue to be a part of. for me and my family. My first few months of clinicals my mother was going through a series of surgeries, and I was Q: WHAT INTERESTS YOU THE MOST ABOUT THE IMAGpresent for all of them. I am an only child, and because of ING FIELD? this it was important I be present for my mother as she was A: I appreciate the fact that the imaging field is so expansive enduring one of the most difficult times in her life. My days and diverse. There are many branches to this field and every were spent commuting back and forth between clinical sites, branch has its beauty in helping our providers better underhome and my mother’s hospital bed. As mentioned previstand the best course of treatment for their patient. ously, the circumstances in my life were not ideal, and if you asked me today, “Would you do it again knowing what you Q: WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF IN THE would need to overcome?” I would say, “No.” However, I now NEXT 5 YEARS? understand circumstances will never be perfect to pursue A: In the next five years I hope to become an imaging dreams. And so, my advice will always be to take that leap director and have begun my journey into a master’s of faith and do the best that you can with what you are givdegree in healthcare administration with an emphasis in en. I continue to learn to navigate through circumstances to diagnostic imaging. • grow and reach my goals. I decided to continue my education and signed up for the bachelor’s program at Gurnick Academy. While doing the accelerated bachelor’s program I worked full time at two FAVORITE HOBBY: Travel different sites (15-hour days). This was a long journey and FAVORITE SHOW: “The Big Bang Theory” reader thank you for bearing with FAVORITE FOOD: Chicken Mole me this long. As I was approaching finals for my last semester in the FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: La Jolla, California bachelor’s program, my manager extended an offer to me as the 1 THING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Visit the Maldives radiology manager contingent on the completion of my degree. I SOMETHING YOUR COWORKERS DON’T KNOW look back and view this situation as ABOUT YOU: I am a big Marvel movie buff. another classic case of being at the
FUN FACTS
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SPOTLIGHT
Rad idea BY TRACI FOSTER, CRA, MSRA, RT(R) ARRT PROGRAM DIRECTOR CARDIOVASCULAR IMAGING MEMORIAL HERMANN HOSPITAL SYSTEM
O
rganization, efficiency, knowledge and team recognition are just a few of the myriad of things leaders must contend with on a daily basis. No matter the size of the department one is leading, success is tied to each of these items in some form or fashion. In today’s ever-changing world of COVID-19, staffing shortages, supply chain backorders, medication shortages, etc., we are busier than ever before. We have more changes and challenges bombarding us daily that require us to be in-the-know and as flexible as ever. During COVID, my leadership team decided to meet every Friday to help each of us be organized and deliberate in our actions, work as efficiently as possible, and help boost morale by making conscious efforts to recognize and praise team members. We decided to call this meeting “Campfire” as it reminded us of an evening by a campfire sitting together, reminiscing about the past, talking about the now and planning for the future. During Campfire, each of us take turns to discuss the previous week including the good, the bad and the ugly. What were our wins? What challenges did we face and 14
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how did we overcome them? What opportunities did we have that are still on-going? Who made a positive difference? No matter how much one would like to be everywhere at once and no matter how hard one may try, it is impossible to be everywhere and see everything going on in a department. We discovered that this open conversation about the week-in-review, allows each of us to learn about different events or situations that happened, that we might not have known about otherwise. It helps us better manage and make more informed decisions in the future. Also during this week-in-review, we discuss those who made an impact regardless of the perceived size of that impact; whether to a patient, a family member or a co-worker. Again, this proves to be invaluable as many stories are brought to light that otherwise would stay hidden. An example is an early morning technologist allowing a later technologist go to lunch first because the later technologist had an important phone call regarding his child. Another example is a nurse going out of her way to make sure recovery was stocked with Sprite and Goldfish crackers once she ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
learned these were the favorites of a patient who was on the schedule for a sedated MRI the next morning. We want to acknowledge all the positive, inspiring and heartfelt actions our teams show to each other on a daily basis; not only to recognize them for their efforts, but to hopefully foster a sense of recognition throughout the department so staff will be more open to acknowledging each other on a regular basis. We take this a step further and at the end of our meeting, we take turns writing hand-written thank you cards for each of us to sign, that shows the team member the entire radiology leadership team is supporting and acknowledging his or her efforts. After the previous week has been dissected, we move to the upcoming week. What known concerns or challenges are there? There may be a very complex patient whose exam has been coordinated with other areas that will make multiple communications throughout the visit essential. Or, perhaps staffing is going to be critical with a team member on vacation, another on FMLA, and your lead technologist just informed you she has COVID. Knowledge is power and when you are aware of possible challenges it makes it much easier to
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plan and prepare for them. In addition to the concerns or challenges that may come our way in the next week, we also review special events and accomplishments to commemorate. Birthdays, work anniversaries, graduations, etc. are all fantastic opportunities to take a few moments and celebrate each other! This is much easier to plan and do with a little head’s up. It certainly takes a village and our “Campfire” wouldn’t have the same impact if we didn’t discuss how each of us could help and support one another. Leadership is tough. A simple question such as, “How can I help with that complex patient scheduled for Tuesday?” can go a long way with building trust and camaraderie within your leadership team. Taking a few minutes to reflect on the previous week and prepare for the next week has been a great way for our radiology leadership team to stay organized, be more efficient, have additional knowledge about things we otherwise may not know and build up our team! • Share your RAD IDEA via an email to editor@mdpublishing.com.
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SPOTLIGHT
Off Clock THE
DENNIS CHALTRAW, DIRECTOR OF REVENUE CYCLE MANAGEMENT, OREGON IMAGING CENTERS BY MATT SKOUFALOS
A
bout 20 years ago, Dennis Chaltraw remembers leaving an insurance industry leadership conference with an important takeaway from the featured speaker. He doesn’t recollect the specific phrasing, but the takeaway was, “Regardless of how hard you work, make sure you bring balance into your life, and find a way to live outside of work.” “There was something about this that made me realize what I was not doing,” Chaltraw said. “I had this huge briefcase of work, and would truck it home every night with the best of intention of getting it done. After 20 years of grinding it out in the insurance and finance industries, I had to find a way to push myself in other directions.” “For people who are in high-volume, high-pressure careers, you can really enjoy what you do outside of work because your work is really stable and pretty consistent,” he said. “But once you start not doing anything, you keep not doing anything; a body at rest tends to stay at rest.” Chaltraw reflected upon his interests. A former athlete, he began searching for opportunities to reconnect with the sports he played in his youth. He decided to start by umpiring his daughter’s softball games. That choice led Chaltraw down a path that eventually took him deep into officiating duties with USA Softball, the national governing body of softball. “I have a tendency to throw myself into situations that I know are going to make me uncomfortable,” he said. “Officiating is a great example of putting yourself in new and 16
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challenging positions. As soon as I made the decision to take officiating seriously, an entire new world opened up, and it was something far different from my career in health care finance. I call it getting back on the field.” Chaltraw soon learned that he’d needed to rely on more than his individual passion for the sport to do the job capably. In short order, he was introduced to the infrastructure of softball: game mechanics, case studies, positioning, and its hefty rules book. Beyond knowing and loving the sport itself, Chaltraw began to learn how to anticipate the play as an official; where to catch the optimal line of sight to best see through the play and to obtain the best possible angle to make a call. He kept up with officiating after his daughter was done with the sport, and by then, the game had its hooks in him once more.
Dennis Chaltraw with three high school umpires from Bend, Oregon.
ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
What Chaltraw soon discovered – in addition to the effort and discipline required to become a reliable, steadily working umpire – was the significant amount of opportunity for younger people to take on the duties of officiating in organized sports. Some of his umpiring peers are in their sixties and seventies; despite their institutional knowledge, when age sets in, the physical elements of the job become much more difficult to endure. For the sport to continue to function, a new generation of officials must be identified and inducted into the system, Chaltraw said. “We’ve got to figure out this youth movement,” Chaltraw said. “We have to drive towards youth, because there’s a big gap between people aged 30 to 50 who are not officiating. We have to circle back to the youth and plant that seed – get them back on the field.”
product on the field; they care about the rules and the proper mechanics.” After years of officiating, Chaltraw can recall some of the most challenging calls he’s had to make on the field. As a home plate umpire, he’s had Dennis Chaltraw and his family are seen at to take control of more than a horseshoe tournament. one game when his officiating crew didn’t make an immediate call on the play or wrong. The better officials always ask misunderstood a rule. Some of the most themselves, ‘What did I miss?’ or ‘What significant games he’s officiated have could I have done differently?’ ” been in upper-division national champi“When I first started, it was really about onship tournaments, but regardless of its getting as many games in as you can,” he level, every game has the fire of a chamsaid. “You see all levels of ball and skill, you pionship game for the players involved. make all kinds of mistakes, and hopefully “You don’t care if it’s 10, 12, 14-yearyou learn from your mistakes. The speed olds,” Chaltraw said; “it’s intense, everyof the game sometimes dictates what you body’s into it, and every pitch counts. You can and can’t do. It’s better to stop and have to be on your game.” read the play than make a call on the run.”
Chaltraw found recent success recruiting high-school athletes who had played softball previously and had no idea the amount of focus and training it took to be an official, let alone recognizing that the money they can make officiating is much better than expected. In Oregon, officials can make $50 per game to umpire; in a weekend tournament, those who hustle can net $300-$400, a nice payday for a weekend of staying close to the game they love. Along the way, Chaltraw said he’s also made more than his share of friendships. “You start developing friendships with people you would have never met had it not been for getting back on the field,” he said. “For me, it has a lot to do with working with men and women who have integrity. Officials care about what they do. They care about putting a good
In those moments after play has concluded and everyone’s gone home, Chaltraw said there’s still often plenty for him to learn – from the calls he’s gotten right as much as from the mistakes he’s made.
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“There’s always another perspective on it,” Chaltraw said. “Maybe you got the call right, but your positioning was
For those interested in pursuing officiating, Chaltraw recommends they contact the local assigners for umpires in their areas as a first step. From there, they’ll begin training, in the form of remote coaching and hands-on camps at which they’ll be observed as much for their ability to receive feedback as for their ability to call a play correctly. More than anything, Chaltraw advises anyone working long hours in a day job for years on end to find something outside of the office to engage in; something they enjoy, something they can be passionate about. “I’ve chosen officiating to help provide some balance in myself, personally,” he said. “There are entire worlds, friendships and challenges out there to be had. Find something you enjoy, put that briefcase down, and get back on the field.” • ICEMAGAZINE
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NEWS
Imaging News
A LOOK AT WHAT’S CHANGING IN THE IMAGING INDUSTRY
THE WORLD MOVES FAST. WE MOVE FASTER.™
626 ACQUIRES MEDICAL IMAGING SOLUTIONS 626 Holdings LLC recently announced the addition of Medical Imaging Solutions (MIS). “MIS could not be a better fit. The addition of MIS helps both our customers and our employees win on many different levels including the improvement and expansion of our capabilities, our growing geographic coverage, our customer expansion, and our culture. 626 and MIS together is a better solution for current customers and future customers starting on day one. MIS hits on all of our growth objectives and we are very excited about our future with MIS. 626 is not done yet, our pipeline of future customers and acquisition targets are still growing,” stated Philip Revien, CEO of 626. In business since 1996 and based in Woodstock, Georgia, MIS is a leading third-party provider in the HTM space. MIS and 626 have a lot in common. Both are family busi-
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nesses, founded as a high quality, agile, cost advantageous, alternative for support beyond the OEM, and both dedicated to our employees, customers and their patients. After spending time planning next steps for optimal MIS growth with the 626 team, there was no doubt that the best decision was an alliance with 626. We are also thrilled about the role our Imaging Academy will play across this combined business, said Arnold Bates, president and CEO, MIS. “The combined companies will have over 120 field service engineers, 7 distribution centers, 25,000 parts, and fleet performance improving technology, all positioned to deliver improved uptime at a value to an enlarged footprint. This is a great move for our customers and investors.” 626 President Michael Fischer said. •
ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
FDA CLEARS MAGNETOM FREE.STAR 60 CM MR SCANNER Siemens Healthineers has announced the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of the MAGNETOM Free. Star, a cost-effective whole-body magnetic resonance (MR) scanner designed to help improve patient access to MRI. The second scanner on the High-V MR platform following the MAGNETOM Free.Max, the MAGNETOM Free.Star has a 60 cm patient bore and combines a 0.55 Tesla (0.55T) field strength with deep learning technologies and advanced image processing. The MAGNETOM Free.Star is the company’s most affordable MR scanner and at 3.3 tons and less than 80 inches high, its smallest, most lightweight whole-body MRI system ever. It requires less than 1 liter of liquid helium and no quench pipe, contributing to reduced infrastructure and lifecycle costs. The scanner’s reduced energy consumption contributes to a reduction in total lifecycle costs of more than 30 percent compared to conventional scanners. Deep
Resolve algorithms perform targeted denoising and employ deep learning to deliver sharp, high-resolution images, elevating image quality to a level previously achievable only using MR scanners with much higher field strengths. The myExam Companion workflow solution leverages artificial intelligence to help the user conduct a more efficient patient examination. “Siemens Healthineers believes that patients everywhere deserve access to magnetic resonance imaging and its unique benefits,” said Jane Kilkenny, vice president of the magnetic resonance business at Siemens Healthineers North America. “The MAGNETOM Free.Star is further proof of our steadfast commitment to providing customers with MRI scanners that are more cost-effective, more easily operable, and more easily sited for installation at a wide variety of healthcare institutions across the United States.” •
DETECTION TECHNOLOGY DEBUTS SERVICE PORTFOLIO Detection Technology, a leader in X-ray detector solutions, has debuted a service portfolio, named myDT+, to enhance unique customer experience and sustainable development. The company has productized a comprehensive range of services to boost the benefits of one-stop-shopping, to ensure that its customers get the most out of their investments, and to secure the longevity and reusability of its detector solutions. The company’s newly launched service portfolio will
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contribute to performance improvement, time-to-market, up-time, lifetime, total cost savings and sustainability of industrial, security, and medical X-ray imaging systems. The myDT+ service portfolio will provide value-adding customer support from piloting new technologies and advanced development all the way to the end of the product life cycle and the recycling of detector solutions. This one-of-a-kind service offering in the X-ray detector industry will evolve based on market needs. •
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NEWS
BAYER LAUNCHES CALANTIC DIGITAL SOLUTIONS Bayer has unveiled Calantic Digital Solutions, a new cloud-hosted platform delivering access to digital applications, including AI-enabled programs, for medical imaging. The offering contains tools to help triage critical patient findings for expedited review, improve lesion detection and automate tasks. The launch comes at a time when chronic diseases are on the rise, increasing the demand for medical imaging. With radiology’s increasing complexity, including a five-fold jump in the number of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images produced per scan, to meet workload demands, an average radiologist in some cases would need to interpret one image every 3-4 seconds in an 8-hour workday. Exacerbating this situation is a shortage of radiologists. Time pressure and workload contribute to the prevalence of burn-out among radiologists. In addition, data show the rate of diagnostic errors rises with long hours of overtime. Digital technologies
can help manage the mounting workload of radiologists and their teams, ultimately striving to improve patient care. “AI has the potential to transform health care, and, particularly in medical imaging, it can turn the growing amounts of data into value-adding insights to support radiologists and their teams in their decision-making,” says Dr. Ryan Lee, chair, department of radiology, Einstein Healthcare Network, Philadelphia. “It is crucial to drive innovation in this area and broaden access to digital tools that can help address the rising demand for solutions which improve the speed and accuracy of diagnoses.” The apps will be centered around three key areas to help manage efficiencies across the radiology workflow: triage apps to flag suspected pathologies and findings that warrant urgent review and treatment; detection apps to improve lesion detection; and quantification apps for automation of routine tasks. •
IAMERS ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENTS IAMERS is an international diagnostic imaging trade association. In a recent news release, IAMERS announced that Richardson Electronics Vice President Jerald Olsen, who joined the IAMERS Board in January 2021, will become chairman of marketing. IAMERS President Diana Upton applauded his decision to take on the marketing chairmanship. “Jerald is a proven leader in our industry,” Upton said. “His unique contributions to Richardson and prior experience with Varex and Varian Medical Systems will contribute to his new role. We will so benefit from his skills as he really is a cross-functional team leader. Jerald’s many civic contributions over the years and his continued dedication to Richardson’s clients, tell us what a truly dynamic leader he is. We are so fortunate.” Richardson Electronics Ltd. is a leading global provider of engineered solutions, power grid and microwave tubes and related consumables; power conversion and RF and microwave components and replacement parts for diagnostic imaging equipment; and customized display solutions. IAMERS has also announced the appointment of Intermountain Healthcare Clinical Engineering Director Mike Powers, MBA, AAMIF, CDP, to the IAMERS Board of Directors. “Mike is a health care industry leader. He brings a wealth of experience and team building to the IAMERS Board with
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his clinical engineering experience at Intermountain Health care and from his prior experience at Christiana Care,” Upton said. “We look forward to Mike Jerald Olsen continuing to share his HDO insights and guidance – always offered with due modesty and good humor.” Powers is a member of the AAMI Fellows Class of 2022 and currently a co-lead of the Cybersecurity of Legacy Medical Devices Task Group of the MIke Powers Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council. A former non-commissioned officer in the United States Navy, he has been recognized for his mentorship of employees and for his contributions to industry standards groups including as a contributor on Manufacturer Disclosure Statements for Medical Device Security. Intermountain Healthcare is a non-profit health care system based in Utah and operating in 33 hospitals, one of them a virtual hospital, and almost 500 clinics across the Western United States. •
ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
KA IMAGING UNVEILS SPECTRALDR Canadian manufacturer KA Imaging has unveiled a new brand identity for its patented dual-energy technology. SpectralDR is currently built into the Reveal 35C detector. The new brand is in line with the company’s strategy to expand its presence in the X-ray market. “The Reveal 35C detector is a breakthrough and the first in an exciting product roadmap,” said Fernanda Fraga, marketing manager of KA Imaging. At this time, Reveal 35C detector is available for sale in Canada, the United States, and other countries. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to develop an integrated mobile system powered by its SpectralDR technology. KA Imaging’s SpectralDR technology enables dual-energy subtraction, providing bone and tissue differentiation with a single standard X-ray exposure. It acquires three images simultaneously (DR, bone and soft tissue dual-energy X-ray images). The technology mimics the workflow, dose and techniques of state-of-the-art mobile DR X-ray detectors. “It’s a 3-in-1 solution, as in three images with one exposure to radiation and no extra work. Having a DR plus the supplemental spectral bone and tissue images allows for better diagnosis and faster reading,” said Dr. Phil Templeton, radiologist, and chief medical officer of KA Imaging. The spectral images provide enhanced visualization of different conditions like lung nodules, pneumonia, tips of lines and tubes, pneumothorax and retained surgical bodies. Adding a name to the patented technology simplifies the message to the industry. “SpectralDR addresses the drawbacks of previous dual-energy subtraction or bone suppression approaches,” said Dr. Karim S. Karim, CTO of KA Imaging. Conventional dual energy is not mobile and uses two exposures, while bone suppression image quality is limited and cannot provide bone images. “SpectralDR really takes general X-ray to the next level because you can get true bone and soft tissue subtracted images every time plus a DR image in one exposure at the lowest dose. If it’s low dose, 3-in-1, and mobile and single exposure, you can bet it is powered by SpectralDR,” said Karim. • For more information, visit www.kaimaging.com.
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NEWS
WEBINARS DELIVER VALUABLE INSIGHTS STAFF REPORT
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he ICE webinar series continues to deliver valuable continuing education and knowledge to imaging professionals.
CONTRAST INJECTOR INSIGHTS The ICE webinar “Introduction to the Acist CTA and CVi Contrast Injectors” was sponsored by Althea US. It was approved for 1.0 ARRT Category A CE credit by the AHRA (AHRA Reference: LEC11705; Expiration Date: 6/23/2023). Michael Gossman of Althea US provided information and knowledge for the set-up and basic operation on the Acist CTA and CVi contrast injectors. The Acist CTA Injector information included component identification, injector set-up, remote operation, entering protocols, injector head operation, EDA module and unique features. The Acist CVi Injector information included component identification, injector set-up, entering protocols, injector head operation, test jigs, description of all sensors required and unique features. Attendees provided feedback via a survey that included the question, “Why do you join ICE Webinars?” “To add to my understanding and knowledge of medical imaging,” said Jeffery Kennelly, a medical imaging services and imaging informatics expert. “Opportunity to learn about equipment service and/or learning about equipment I’m not familiar with,” said Steven Sirois, BMET III.
tion Date: 6/8/2023). It was sponsored by Seno Medical. Seno Medical is a medical imaging company formed to commercialize a new modality in cancer diagnosis called opto-acoustic imaging. Almost 100 individuals registered for this webinar. Dr. A. Thomas Stavros, chief medical officer at Seno Medical, provided a 60-minute presentation. Attendees were able to learn how this new PMA approved hybrid modality uses opto-acoustics (lasers) fused with ultrasound (OA/US) to provide patients a better experience compared to ultrasound alone. Attendees provided feedback via a survey that also asked, “What was your favorite part of the webinar?” “The presentation of images to back up the discussion of the scientific principles of optoacoustic ultrasound. The use of AI was very helpful to aid in interpretation,” said William Lytle Jr., a radiologist. “Excellent presentation by Dr. Tom Stavros. Glad to see new technology and understanding being applied to breast ultrasound, which will help improve patient care,” said Richard Ellis, radiologist. The webinar included a question-and-answer session. The complete presentation, including the question-and-answer session, is available for on-demand viewing at ICEwebinars.live. •
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OA/US CAN IMPACT PATIENTS The webinar “OA/US: How this New Hybrid Modality Can Impact Your Patients” was approved for 1.0 ARRT Category A CE credit by the AHRA (AHRA Reference: LEC11689; Expira-
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Market Report AI CONTINUES GROWTH
STAFF REPORT
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he global AI in medical imaging market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45.68% during the forecast period 2022-2027, according to a news report from Globe Newswire that attributes the information to ReportLinker. The constant increase in the number of diagnostic procedures and the decline in the number of radiologists and an increasing work pressure on radiologists has increased the need for artificial intelligence adoption in the medical imaging space, according to the report. In the Reportlinker.com report “AI In Medical Imaging Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2022-2027” it states that researchers are looking for multiple ways to implement artificial intelligence into medical imaging. The demand for artificial intelligence is constantly increasing in the medical imaging software market. From cardiac events, neurological conditions, fractures, or thoracic complications, artificial intelligence helps physicians to diagnose and provide treatment quickly. Implementing AI in medical imaging has enhanced medical screening, improved precision medicine software, reduced physicians’ load, and more. There have been many technological advancements in AI-based medical imaging technologies, which have shown their increasing acceptance in high-income countries, according to the report. “Some of the improvements include the development of integrated rtiI software, which can directly be integrated into imaging equipment (MRI or CT scanner) which facilitates the automation of medical image analysis. Other advances include smartphone technology integration in AI in medical imaging in which front-line health workers could non-invasively screen for various conditions by leveraging a smartphone,” it states. AI in medical imaging has drawn the attention of several radiologists worldwide. It gives faster and more accurate results and reduces diagnostic errors at reduced costs compared to traditional medical imaging methods. Thus, radiologists believe that AI in medical imaging may bring an 24
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enormous opportunity for its increasing implementation in the upcoming years, according to Reportlinker.com. In recent years, many large established companies, such as GE Healthcare and Siemens Healthineers, have enabled themselves to grow AI in the medical imaging market by making huge investments for increasing partnerships and acquisitions. Other large health care-related or software companies not previously invested in health care, such as Thermo Fisher Scientific and Paraxel, have started making huge investments in the market. Siemens Healthineers, General Electric (GE) Company, Koninklijke Philips, and IBM Watson Health are major players in the global AI in the medical imaging market. International players focus on developing innovative products with advanced technologies and expanding their product portfolio to remain competitive. They are continuously investing extensively in R&D to expand their product portfolio. Manufacturers such as GE Healthcare constantly focus on introducing new products with innovative technology platforms opening the platform (Edison Developer Program) for other companies offering artificial intelligence technologies to scale and deploy their developed applications across GE Healthcare’s customer base. Many major players are engaged in strategic acquisitions and partnerships that continue to be a competitive strategy for the key players, thus helping them grow inorganically. Innovative product approvals coupled with R&D activities are also helping vendors expand their presence, enhance growth, and sustain their position in the global market. In 2021, more than 30 countries approved AI in medical imaging technologies that are FDA and CE approved, according to the news report. There is increasing funding and investments by public and private entities, including large companies, which is also one of the major driving factors of AI in the medical imaging market, it adds. “For instance, more than 20 start-ups from various regions have received funds to develop AI-based medical imaging technologies,” the report states. Reportlinker.com says that North America holds a dominant position in artificial intelligence in the medical imaging market. • ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
PRODUCTS
Product o F cus Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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CUREMETRIX cmTriage
cmTriage from CureMetrix is the first FDA-cleared software intended to provide a notification triage code to the radiologist’s mammography worklist based on the presence of a suspicious region of interest found by the underlying algorithm. This workflow optimization tool enables a radiologist to customize a 2D mammogram or mammography worklist based on cases that may need immediate attention.
*Disclaimer: Products are listed in no particular order.
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PRODUCTS
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LAUREL BRIDGE AI Workflow Suite
AI algorithm clinical utility will rely upon their seamless and reliable integration into existing clinical reading workflows. Organizations implementing AI algorithms must consider how they will automatically identify, fetch, anonymize, and deliver current and relevant prior studies to AI algorithms, as well as how to reidentify and store algorithm results in a clinical archive. The Laurel Bridge AI Workflow Suite manages these tasks automatically. In addition, it can integrate on-premises and cloud-based AI algorithms into existing clinical workflows, is HIPAA-compliant and supports the DICOM standard. It also enables the delivery of AI algorithm results to a PACS, VNA and EMR.
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HOLOGIC
3Quorom Imaging Technology Hologic’s 3DQuorum technology utilizes Genius AI-powered analytics to uniquely generate 6mm SmartSlices from the original high-resolution 3D data. SmartSlices are designed to expedite reading time by reducing the number of images to review, with no compromise in image quality, sensitivity or accuracy. 3DQuorum technology reduces the typical Hologic Clarity HD and Intelligent 2D study size by over 50%, bringing the storage space and network impact back down to that of standard resolution 3D imaging. By reading SmartSlices instead of 1mm slices, the number of 3D images to review is reduced by two-thirds, which saves radiologists 1 hour per day based on 8 hours of image interpretation time per day. Genius AI powered software identifies clinically relevant regions of interest and preserves important features during the creation of SmartSlices.
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CARESTREAM
AI-Smart Noise Cancellation Carestream’s AI-powered Imaging and Workflow Intelligence solutions help improve image clarity, optimize dose and increase workflow efficiency. For example, Smart Noise Cancellation (SNC) provides improved diagnostic quality, preservation of fine detail and better contrast-to-noise ratio for images acquired at clinically nominal exposures.* This is especially important in neonatal and pediatric imaging. * These statements were verified using Carestream detectors in a reader study performed by board certified radiologists comparing pairwise images taken at nominal dose (CsI ISO 400 speed / GOS ISO 320 speed) and reduced dose (CsI ISO 800 speed/GOS ISO 500 speed) with SNC.
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GE HEALTHCARE Edison True PACS
Backed by the breadth of GE Healthcare and the Edison Ecosystem, Edison True PACS brings together image visualization, workflow, artificial intelligence, 3D post processing, and archiving all in a single platform, to provide enterprise functionality at an affordable cost. By natively incorporating AI-based decision support and intelligent workflow automation, it helps support the organization in achieving new levels of productivity and diagnostic accuracy. It helps radiology groups: • Reduce the cost and disruption of maintaining a stable PACS solution • Keep current with new diagnostic reading and workflow technology • Ensure radiologists are working smarter – not harder • Provide faster report turnaround times resulting in better care for patients • Make more efficient use of IT resources • Reduce long-term cost of PACS ownership
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COVER STORY
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE THE ROLE OF CAPITAL PLANNING IN SMART GROWTH
BY MATT SKOUFALOS
T
he weight of discussions about the acquisition of medical imaging equipment frequently is given over to questions of financing, budget cycles, clinical stakeholder interests and revenue. What may be further down the list of considerations, however, are details about the physical environment in which those devices will be housed and from within which they must function. Robert Junk is the president and founding principal at RAD-Planning, a Kansas City, Missouri-based architectural firm that specializes in the design of imaging spaces. One of the aspects of capital planning that most commonly seems to surprise his clients is the brief life expectancy of the equipment they purchase, particularly in contrast to the much longer life of the building in which it’s housed. “People always feel that when they buy a piece of equipment, they don’t have to worry about it for a long time,” Junk said. “Four years go by and they think, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m halfway through the useful life of this piece of equipment.’ One client has a dozen cath labs that are approaching ‘end of life’ at the same time, and they are realizing that they need to develop a phased replacement plan to keep the department operational.” 30
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“Customers may have a piece of equipment that’s got a significant piece of useful life left, and they have to get a second piece of equipment that they haven’t planned for just to allow for increased patient demand,” he said. “When you’re dealing with technology, and as fast as technology changes, there’s planned obsolescence that comes into it.” Junk said his firm endeavors to prepare its customers with a reasonable predicted equipment life span that’s informed by institutional plans about patient throughput and downtime between purchases, the better to prevent bottlenecks, scheduling concerns or delayed patient care. To craft that estimate, RAD-Planning relies on equipment utilization benchmarks developed for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). “The VA looks at 80 percent of utilization as a piece of equipment being fully used,” Junk said. “By the time you factor in cancellations and the need to have some flexibility within your schedule, I think a lot of people find that is a low number. They then tend to run into scheduling difficulties, and they don’t have a lot of scheduling freedom in it. It tends to create some backlogs, essentially overbooking the machine.” Other complications for equipment replacement include supply-chain issues – a lingering after-effect of the late stages of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – many of which are connected to the same shortage of semiconductors that has plagued the automotive industry. Similarly, other pandemic-related hurdles include staffing shortages that have ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
COVER STORY
affected every role from equipment maintenance to site planning. “People only move at a certain speed,” Junk said. “We’ve had some projects delayed five or six weeks because the equipment vendors don’t have in-house staff to produce the documents.” Another personnel wrinkle that arises less frequently in capital planning discussions is the degree of mobility among professionals in the C suite and other high-level positions at which decision-makers are employed. If the dominant voices behind a project or line of strategy change frequently enough, it can be difficult to bring a proposal across the finish line. “We do a lot of work for some of the large, national hospital groups, and I’m constantly amazed at how much movement there is in the C suite,” Junk said. “Part of that gets into the budgeting side of how you keep capital improvements moving. As quickly as those roles change, I think it puts more WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM
pressure on individual radiology directors. We’ve learned over time that if we have a strong voice in the room that’s
trying to drive in only one direction, and we can potentially see that that might lead to some issues, we’ll try to slow it down to allow other views and needs to be addressed.” RAD-Planning Senior Vice President Tobias Gilk, who also operates Gilk Radiology Consultants of Kansas City, Missouri, said one of the most critical elements of designing a radiology room to satisfy the various needs of its planned users is developing a bespoke solution that exceeds the siting templates provided by medical imaging equipment manufacturers – the resources most frequently relied upon in the creation of medical imaging suites. Gilk became so familiar with these layouts that he could enter a space that had been emptied of imaging equipment and know for which device it was designed. “It was endemic that architects would copy and paste the vendor-designed templates into their plans,” he said. “For anyone who wants to go down that route for speed, simplicity and cost – ICEMAGAZINE
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don’t. The vendor templates are fantastic for one explicit thing, and that’s to make sure that a site is designed with appropriate service clearances for the units. When a designer copies and pastes the templates for any design manufacturer, they are essentially ignoring codes, standards, accreditation requirements, and functional needs for the facility, which can be extremely detrimental to efficiency and throughput for the life of the facility.” Gilk said equipment manufacturer guidance is based around supporting marketing that describes it as oriented towards the speed and quality of the study the individual scanner will perform. Those computational rates don’t, however, have much to do with how effectively patients can get into and out of scanners. He points out that the advertised throughput capacities aren’t reachable if the supporting environment – which might necessarily include changing rooms, space to establish IV contrast drips and more – don’t scale up with the allotted floor plan for speed and capability of the device itself. “All those soft spaces wind up becoming the controlling factor for throughput and efficiency as scanners get faster and faster,” Gilk said. “For PET-CT today, you probably can get by with two uptake rooms based on the length of the study, but we actually build in a three-to-one ratio because the acquisition times for the imaging are getting much shorter, and it’s only a matter of time before you’re going to need the additional soft space to
be able to maintain maximum efficiency in patient care and throughput for these accelerating scanners.” The tension Gilk articulates is that between designing an imaging suite that will exceed the lifespan of the equipment in which it is housed by a factor of three or more. A more robust room configuration is one that acknowledges the routine turnover of capital equipment throughout the lifespan of the facility itself. “Whatever you design the suite for, that piece of equipment’s going to get pulled out and replaced, and repeat
“When a designer copies and pastes the templates for any design manufacturer, they are essentially ignoring codes, standards, accreditation requirements, and functional needs for the facility.” -Tobias Gilk
until the technology’s obsolete, or the hospital gets moved to a different location,” Gilk said. “You run the risk of bulldozing all the capital dollars that might have been invested in the architecture and engineering of that suite because it doesn’t meet the minimums or the norms for the next piece of equipment.” As frequently as the technology behind medical imaging equipment changes, Gilk noted that clinical utilization in radiology and imaging departments is changing twice as fast. Managers at sites that weren’t been designed to accommodate procedures like breast-guided MRI or interventional radiology may be confronted with the choice of retrofitting their existing facilities to adapt to changing levels of patient acuity, impairment and level of intervention. RAD-Planning measures its clients’ needs according to these levels. Class 1 designates an outpatient imaging physician’s office setting. Class 2 supports minimally invasive procedures. Class 3 is for image-guided surgeries. “Before the architects, engineers, equipment and facility planners jump in doing the grocery-list count of ‘I need two CT and four MRI and six X-rays,’ some pre-emptive thought needs to be put into what specifically these spaces are going to be used for; what level of care and intervention,” Gilk said. “If, today, you swear up and down you are positively a Class 1 imaging facility, and then a year from now you want to start doing image-guided
COVER STORY
biopsies, that’s a Class 2 function,” he said. “If you don’t have the requisite changes based on a higher level of uses, making those kinds of retrofitted adaptations can be destructive, disruptive and expensive. Make sure that the infrastructure is there to allow for higher use to allow yourself that future flexibility.” “If you’re doing CT at a Level I trauma center, you’re going to have a patient conceivably on a vent requiring continuous clinical monitoring and supervision, and they may need medical gases or critical life support systems that require emergency power,” Gilk said. “The basic minimum criteria for designing a CT that’s going to support that level of care really should be different from the one that’s in a doctor’s office where they’re handling really healthy ambulatory patients.” Architect Bryan Langlands, principal in the New York office of NBBJ, an architecture and design firm that specializes in health care work, encourages his clients to conceive of planning out an imaging suite as “future-predicting” rather than “future-proofing.” To him, the distinction is in admitting some margin of error and avoiding the inflexible thinking that accompanies such absolute statements. More critically, in design terms, flexibility comes down to architectural details like floorto-floor heights, structural systems (Langlands prefers concrete to steel because it absorbs vibration more effectively) including column-free space, and designing robust mechanical systems to absorb the most complex
“People are still very nervous about the cost, but they recognize that they need to get going, and get going fast.” - Bryan Langlands patient cases that may arise. “If you can have those three things, you’re aligning yourself to make changes in the future,” he said. “We have to be aware of over-designing the room trying to anticipate that they’ll be doing some procedures that they’re not doing today. When you start doing that, very quickly the costs go up, but you don’t want to have to renovate it because it was under-designed. It’s less about purchasing the equipment and more about the four walls around the equipment.” One of the best ways to manage design constraints – other than modality clearance and footprint – is to consider designing a room that could possibly begin as a diagnostic suite and grow into a space that absorbs additional uses, including invasive procedures. This is particularly so in a hospital setting, Langlands said. “What comes with it is sort of
breaking down the fiefdoms,” he said. “E.P. likes to be in its own area, cath likes to be in its own area; these rooms are becoming hybrid-use rooms, and I think it’s benefiting the major hospital systems to put them in the same area ‘behind the red-line’ with the operating rooms. At large, academic medical centers, your case complexity is quite high. What I don’t see is how hospitals have figured out a way to run their machines on a second or third shift. They’re very expensive pieces of equipment to be sitting idle, only being used from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” Langlands said. Another critical consideration among design teams and capital planners at present is the overheated financial market. Project costs are climbing an estimated one percent monthly, which Langlands said makes “everybody really, really nervous.” And yet, NBBJ is fielding requests for proposals for “major new projects,” he said, which belies a health care market that anticipates the need to continue supporting the growth of its medical imaging lines of service. “I think what happened is, for the past two years of COVID, people didn’t build, and now with us coming out of it, projects are coming back,” Langlands said. “People are still very nervous about the cost, but they recognize that they need to get going, and get going fast. They’re worried about the unpredictability of the market. We saw a real slowdown in the past two years, but it seems to be coming back in 2022.” •
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INSIGHTS
WHAT NEXT? DIRECTOR’S CUT BY BETH ALLEN
I
t is not unusual for jobs in health care to bring one challenge after another. You never know what to expect. It is what keeps me interested and never bored. I know that I learn something new every day because some crazy situation comes up that we have not had happen before. We may need to create a new workflow or find a different way to achieve the same results.
tential crisis before we were officially told. This community of medical imaging professionals is always looking out for each other. I appreciate the information that I learn there and am always shocked that people are discussing exactly what is going on in my “neighborhood.” We are all facing the same challenges and I love the opportunity to see how others are finding creative solutions. We began to construct a contingency plan, but I was not anxious. We ordered what we could and had a decent stock on hand. We were a little ahead of the game and I was optimistic that this would be resolved quickly. I will admit that it did get a little scary for a minute. We put together system level meetings. Although the Banner acute care facilities use another product for CT, they were also put on an allocation by the supplier to limit what they were able to order. We would not just be able to replace the Omnipaque with another product. We created a plan of action that included tier levels based on our days on hand, which was reported by each of our outpatient sites. This was essentially a guess as to how much contrast we used each day. This fluctuates based on what is scheduled. As this situation went on, we wanted to be more precise than that. We created a calculation based
“It is nice to know that the imaging world is small, and we are in it together.”
COVID-19 is the gift that keeps on giving. We have spent the last month working through the latest challenges caused by the pandemic. Due to an outbreak that caused a factory across the world to shut down, we were left in a predicament. Since Banner Imaging uses the GE Omnipaque product for CT and fluoroscopy, we needed to come up with a game plan that would conserve our supply but also not diminish the quality of our exams. Contrast is imperative to the diagnosis of many conditions and the status of cancer progression. How were we going to manage this situation? Fortunately, I regularly review the AHRA forum, so we learned of this po-
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ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
on historical data to determine an average volume of contrast that we used per day. We were then able to more accurately determine our-days-on hand supply. We also needed a process to help identify which patients could safely be done without contrast, who would benefit from using a different imaging modality such as MRI or ultrasound, and who required contrast based on patient history and diagnosis. This was manual work that our amazing CT team whole-heartedly embraced. Our radiologists reviewed cases and made recommendations that ultimately were decided by the referring physician, but this took time away from reading cases and doing procedures. We heard no complaints. This also required changes to our RIS system to ensure patients did not get a call to schedule until their information had been reviewed. Our RIS administration team got it done. Our scheduling team was brought up to speed and helped navigate the new rules. Our business development team worked to get the word out to our referring providers. The pharmacy team at the acute facilities was to repackage some larger single dose bottles into smaller doses and use them in the hospitals. This allowed us to exchange some of those for smaller aliquots of the other product with the hospitals so our supply would go further. We calculated contrast dosage based on BMI and used a saline flush to utilize every drop. Our senior director for Banner Imaging supply chain
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made it her mission to procure any available contrast for us. She was able to watch for our allocations to become available and snatch them up quickly so that we would not miss out, even at 4:30 a.m. As I write this, we are not out of the woods yet, but things are looking bright. I believe we have averted the real crisis and are working our way back to “normal” standard operating procedure. I made the joke that “Omnipaque” was my new favorite swear word because I was a little tired of the subject. I would maybe have used it when I stubbed my toe, out of frustration or pain. Not complaining, just ready for it to be over. This entire process was a lot of work, but we learned some lessons that will be valuable in the next crisis. All in all, I was right to be optimistic from the beginning. Why should I be anxious when we have a team of superstars. A team that works to solve issues together. We keep getting thrown curve balls, but it doesn’t matter. We will win the game with singles and doubles and once in a while, we will hit it out of the park. We have so many complicated issues to solve. Medical imaging is unique in health care and what works for other departments doesn’t always work for us. It is nice to know that the imaging world is small, and we are in it together. Thanks for all you do! • Beth Allen, RT(R)(CT), CRA, is the director, clinical operations at Banner Imaging.
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INSIGHTS
PACS/IT
BY MARK WATTS
HOW TO SKILL UP FOR MEDICAL IMAGING AI
W
e are at the beginning of the transformation for medical imaging artificial intelligence (MIAI). Currently, less than 30 percent of U.S. health care providers are using it. I am concerned about training the staff to support this new innovation. Will the current PACS administrators be tasked with the support and care of MIAI? It is true most hospitals are still struggling to find employees with the skills necessary to create, train and work alongside intelligent machines. As health care practices become aware of the efficiency gains that can be achieved through leveraging the power of machine learning, computer vision and similar technologies, demand for skilled workers in the field is quickly outstripping supply. The American College of Radiology, RSNA and universities have responded to this by creating new courses and educational programs focused on these skills. But anyone wanting to break into the industry may still be confused at the options available to them. So, here’s a rundown of some of the most valuable skills you can learn today if you want to be prepared to work with the automated, intelligent machines of the future!
VISUALIZATION AND SKILLS COMMUNICATION It’s great to be able to use computers to make decisions and attain a deeper understanding of complicated subjects than would ever be possible using purely human-scale analytics. However, if we don’t have the ability to communicate those findings to other humans – and explain why they are so valuable – then it’s all a waste of time. Many organizations have proven that it’s possible to bring about widescale, positive change – both internally and across societies as a whole – by utilizing AI and machine-driven decision-making. But communication skills are essential to generating the buy-in necessary to reap the benefits. This is the reason that “data communicators” and “data translators” are one of the most in-demand sets of skills when it comes to AI and machine learning in business right now. Strong visualization skills mean the ability to take the insights uncovered by machine learning tools and convert them into compelling storytelling that communicates
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exactly what needs to be done, when, and by whom, in order to achieve growth and results
AI OPERATIONS This is a relatively new term that has emerged in recent years to cover the skills needed when it comes to working with the plethora of AI-related tools and services that have become available. AI Ops involves administering and managing all of the connected systems that go into delivering modern AI infrastructure, in order to ensure continuous uptime and a good level of service to the end-user, which could be the business itself or its customers. It might involve coordinating the use of a number of AI-as-a-service elements that connect together to create the organization’s AI infrastructure. AI Ops also refers to the process of administering or overseeing AI analytics of an organization’s IT and data operations. This could involve implementing machine learning processes to enable more efficient use of data within the organization or its IT infrastructure as a whole.
DATA SCIENCE Data is absolutely fundamental to the ability of machines to think and learn. Data is the input used to train AIs to make decisions and carry out tasks. Data scientists understand how to capture, manipulate and work with data in order to extract insights from it. These skills are essential to the field of AI because they encompass the advanced analytics that are necessary in machine learning algorithms. Data science has been a part of computer science educational curriculums for a long time, and today they are usually heavily focused on applying AI to solving business problems using available information.
PROBABILITY/STATISTICS These are old-fashioned mathematical skills that are still considered essential for anyone who wants to understand how AI works, why it is useful, and where it can be most usefully deployed. Techniques such as linear regression, logistic regression, clustering, Bayesian modeling and random forest analysis were all around long before AI became a buzzword. AI performs the core task of making predictions based on identifying patterns
ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
and spotting outliers. Probability and statistics are still at the heart of many of the most sophisticated AI algorithms. Understanding the principles behind how they work is key to understanding why computers are such powerful tools when it comes to automating decision-making. A firm understanding of statistics and probability is hugely valuable when starting out in AI. It helps us to understand how to articulate problems and propose solutions by selecting the most appropriate models and techniques.
PROGRAMMING Although no-code and low-code AI solutions are appearing that let us leverage AI solutions without getting our hands dirty, it’s likely that businesses that want to deploy their own bespoke AI solutions will require skilled coders for a long time yet. A basic understanding of at least one of the most popular programming languages for AI – Python, R, C++, and Java – is very useful for anyone working with machine learning algorithms. This may seem a little counter-intuitive because the purpose of AI is to enable computers to “learn” without having to be specifically coded to carry out a job. Nevertheless, most people working in roles that involve AI today recommend some level of experience in coding for anyone wanting to prepare themselves for using AI. If you need guidance as to what courses I would suggest or what courses from MIT, Stanford or Royal Academy that I have taken I am at your service. • Mark Watts is experienced in the imaging realm and is the founder of Zenlike.ai.
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INSIGHTS
HEALTH CARE CAN LEARN FROM AIRLINE INDUSTRY CHEW ON THIS BY KEITH CHEW
T
he National Center for Biotechnology recently updated the informational page on medical error and reduction, and the extent of the challenge faced by the health care industry is daunting. Did you know medical errors result in 100,000 people dying each year and cost upward of $20 billion dollars a year? Missed diagnoses play a big role in these numbers. According to The Joint Commission, diagnostic errors lead to injury or death for 40,000 to 80,000 patients a year. As we continue our series on cross industry learnings, we look to the skies. Airline companies have long been compared to hospital systems, as they both seek to reduce fatal errors. While the issue and impact of controlling medical errors differs from controlling flight accidents, both industries face similar challenges. Despite the number of worldwide flight hours doubling over the past 19 years (from approximately 35 million in 1999 to 71 million in 2018), the fatality rates have significantly decreased. To understand how the airlines achieved these reductions, let’s look at the various ways airline companies have embodied a culture of safety for their more than 4.5 billion annual passengers.
in the 1980s with the goal of decreasing aircraft accidents. As a part of “crew resource management,” checklists were employed to limit avoidable mistakes that are made because pilots and crews – at times – systematically deviated from normal behaviors. Since then, global health care organizations have adopted checklists as described in Atul Gawande’s bestselling book, “The Checklist Manifesto.”
ADOPTING A BLAME-FREE CULTURE The aviation industry has gone beyond the checklist and sought to get a comprehensive understanding of and mitigation approach to safety. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) created the Aviation Safety Reporting System, a valuable tool that allows pilots and other flight crew to report errors and accidents confidentially without fear of reprisal. This highly endorsed tool gathered almost 100,000 reports in 2018 alone. Furthermore, there are similar programs for air traffic control, technical operations and flight operations. Simply put, aviation has a blame-free culture, (a just-culture) focused more on identifying and solving the problem and less on penalizing or suing people. This allows for a clearer picture of the safety challenges aviation professionals face. What if we told you that a similar idea exists in the health care industry? The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 authorized the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to
“Simply put, aviation has a blame-free culture, (a just-culture) focused more on identifying and solving the problem and less on penalizing or suing people.”
START WITH A CHECKLIST Checklists were first developed for flight crews 40
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ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
create the Patient Safety Organization (PSO) program. These organizations are experts at identifying the causes of threats to quality and safety and then developing interventions to prevent and mediate these issues. Most importantly, there are significant legal protections for providers to disclose patient safety events and learn from them. While providers were once reluctant to discuss patient safety events for fear of legal exposure, they can seek analysis from PSOs and discuss these events with peers from other institutions that are part of the PSO. Another tool is the Network of Patient Safety Databases (NPSD), similar to the Aviation Safety Reporting System, the focus is to enable learning on a national scale. Here, de-identified patient safety events are reviewed in terms of cause, outcome and prevention of future incidents. Sadly, hospitals haven’t fully embraced the PSO program because of a lack of general awareness and/or understanding of the value. Most hospitals that work with PSOs see improved patient safety. For example, one hospital’s PSO alerted it to a malfunction with a certain medical device. This hospital and its peer institutions were able to identify the device and resolve the malfunction. PSOs provide hospitals analysis and education of patient safety in several ways: • Root-cause analyses • Benchmarking • Safe Tables, a program where member hospital representatives confidentially meet and share best practices WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM
One hospital representative said, “Learning from other organizations in a safe environment has been extremely helpful. It assists us with identifying risks we may not have considered and decreases the chance of harm occurring to our patients.”
CAPTURING ROI FROM PRIORITIZING PATIENT SAFETY As health care works to transition from fee-for-service to value-based care, patient safety is not only the ethically correct thing to do but also the financially responsible approach to adopt. Reimbursement will increasingly be tied to a health system’s patient safety and quality metrics with programs such as Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Health systems that are not addressing adverse events and readmission rates will see a loss in reimbursements. Private health insurers are focusing more on this topic with quality reporting initiatives, such as Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS). How do we apply learnings from the aviation industry to health care? This example from a U.S.-based academic medical center provides a road map, complete with ROI, for implementing a Crew Resource Management Program (CRMP). As a result of the program, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
shifted its culture and significantly reduced adverse events, finding: • The total number of adverse events avoided was 735, a 25.7% reduction • Savings ranged from a conservative estimate of $12.6 million to as much as $28.0 million CRMP presents a financially viable way to systematically organize for quality improvement. Thank you, airline industry! Health systems can leverage these cross-industry learnings by asking a few questions: • Are patient safety and quality improvement the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your hospital? • Is there a culture of blame and risk mitigation rather than group/peer learning and smart error detection? • Has your hospital explored how patient safety and quality improvement can increase reimbursement and strengthen your balance sheet? Join us next month as we tap into the energy industry to learn from experience in managing errors. • Keith E. Chew, MHA, CMPE, FRBMA, is a principal with Consulting with Integrity.
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INSIGHTS
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE BY DANIEL BOBINSKI
A MANAGER’S QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
P
eople often get promoted into supervisory positions and receive very little practical training to be effective in the role. That was a huge motivator for my writing “Creating Passion-Driven Teams.” Identify someone who thinks he or she has “arrived” and has no need to learn more, and I’ll point out someone who’s on the road to stagnation. What follows might be a review for some, but if you pick up even one golden nugget for being a better supervisor or manager, you will be more effective in the work that you do. 1. Actively Listen. Employees want to be heard and understood. This can’t be a weekly activity; it has to be a daily practice. Look people in the eye when they talk to you. In addition to absorbing the words, go past the words to ascertain what people are thinking or feeling about what they’re telling you. Then, based on what you perceive, demonstrate you were truly listening. An effective way to do this is to say something like, “It sounds like you are pretty upset about this,” or, “If I understand you accurately, you’d like to fix the problem you described by doing ‘X,’ is that correct?” The idea is to help people feel heard, and that starts with active listening. After that, you must prove you understood. Just saying you understand doesn’t mean you do. People want to feel noticed, needed and nurtured. A great foundation for that is to truly listen to them. Side benefit: People who feel heard and understood
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often invest more of themselves in their work, thus making the workplace more productive and effective. And yes, profitable. 2. Focus on the team’s purpose. Managers and leaders may spend time clarifying the overarching purpose and mission of the team, but if people on the team can’t explain it, then frankly, the vision and mission are practically worthless. Once I walked into a new client’s building of 500 employees and started talking with various managers. To each one I asked if they could tell me the company’s vision and mission. None of those who made an attempt gave the same answer. Most just laughed and said, “I don’t know.” Picture one of those long boats with eight-member “crew” teams on a river. When everyone is rowing in the same direction and with synchronized rhythm, their boat speeds downstream. But if each person is doing his or her own thing, that boat is pretty much floundering. It’s the same thing with any organization. Starting point: If you, as the supervisor or manager, cannot articulate your team’s purpose, there’s no time like the present to start. Set aside some time and put together a small team of diverse personalities from different facets of your team and devote yourselves to answering two questions: • Where do we want to see our team (department/ company/etc.) in the next three years? • What will your team need to do to get there? Then, after you have solid answers, make those topics part of your water-cooler conversation. By that I mean don’t talk about them only at formal meetings, but weave the vision and mission into everyday chats.
ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
3. Replace “why” questions with “what” and “how” questions. One of the most common mistakes many managers make is asking questions such as, “Why did you do that?” This question is often asked when something has gone awry, and oftentimes the manager is simply trying to troubleshoot. The problem? “Why” questions often put people on the defensive. To use a “Star Trek” analogy, it’s like your employees anticipate a hostile attack and they put their shields up. When people get asked why, the unspoken inference is that it’s a question asking about the past, and the past cannot be changed. Therefore, no matter what the employee says, it’s going to be a wrong answer. The other problem? “Why” is easy to ask. It’s quick. It’s efficient. It’s one syllable! Therefore, supervisors and managers like to use it. Better: If the purpose of the question is to determine why something was done, it’s better to frame the question with a few more words and also with genuine curiosity in one’s voice. • Old way: Why did you do that? • New way: What was the intended result of taking that course/making that decision? or What was the goal you were trying to achieve? The old way points people backwards, the new way points people forward. Then, once you learn the intention behind the action, you can help the person think through different/better ways to accomplish the goal. 4. Praise in public; discipline in private. It’s doubtful you know anyone who enjoys being corrected, especially in front of other people. Worse yet is when
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one is publicly made to feel insulted or stupid. Once during a team training, a supervisor told me about a decision she’d made that caused thousands of dollars in product to be wasted. As she was gathering her team to fix the problem, her manager came over and asked a few questions. Then he turned to the supervisor and said, “You’re worthless,” before walking away. The supervisor came to me broken down and ready to quit. “How is anyone on my team going to listen to anything I say now that my own manager proclaimed me to be worthless right in front of them?” The truth is that everyone makes mistakes. How managers deal with the mistakes of others sets the tone for the entire workplace. Better: Look for what people are doing well and talk about those things in front of the team. However, when someone needs a correction, by all means do that where nobody else can see it or hear it. Even talking where you can be seen but not heard is not good – people can read body language. • 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
THE ROMAN REVIEW
IF YOU ARE NOT THE LEAD DOG
BY MANNY ROMAN
R
ecent conversations with a friend brought back memories of an article I wrote a very long time ago. I decided to revisit the article because it might have relevance in today’s acquisition-rich environment. As some of you may know, I am a founder of DITEC, a diagnostic imaging service training organization. DITEC was acquired quite a while ago and I went to work for an independent service organization (ISO) for about a year. It was during that time that I became acutely aware of the issues that arise when transitioning from being boss to having a boss. The title of a book by William R McKenzie Jr. is, “If You’re Not The Lead Dog, The View Never Changes: A Leadership Path for Young Adults.” This is a relatively obvious statement. If you don’t get it, this means that in a line of sled dogs, the one in front sees a lot of snow, an occasional squirrel and some trees, the dogs behind see behinds. Their view of these behinds remains constant. Translating that profound statement to business means that the leader determines everything and those who follow may not have much influence on what happens. As a follower, you might just move toward whatever direction the lead dog goes in, even if it goes off a cliff. I wrote about leaders and followers a long time ago and here is a portion of it: I recently saw a show where a member of a special military operation did not follow an order from the Lord Commander which, of course, irritated the leader. As part of the chastising process the Lord Commander said something like “Do you want to lead someday?” The offender said “Yes.” The Lord Commander then said, “Then learn how to follow.” Learning to follow well is fundamental to becoming a good leader. Followership requires the courage to be led while ensuring that the direction is appropriate for the situation and circumstances. I still believe this to be true, however I have the following observations. I found that it takes even more courage to follow than it does to lead. It takes courage to speak out. It takes courage to stand against the crowd. It takes courage to shine a
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light on issues that might not be popular. It takes courage to oppose the entrenched masses. As a follower, your courage will be challenged. Winston Churchill is quoted to have said, “Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted, then it must be changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted.” It takes wisdom and courage to determine which course you will take when you are the follower and are presented with a challenge. Having a well-defined value system will go a long way in determining your direction. Going back to my experience, I caution you as you slide down the slippery slope of acceptance. I found that it gets more slippery and you accelerate with time. I found that acceleration and dissonance are directly proportional. I found that rationalization begins to raise its ugly head and you begin to actually find excuses for your lack of courage. I accepted what I could not change. I accepted that if you are not the “Lead Dog,” and all you see are lined-up behinds, then how could you profess to know the proper direction to take? OK, so you want me to get to the point. My point is simple. I personally was not as courageous as I thought. My lack of courage was not in speaking out, my lack of courage came when I slipped into blind acceptance. I once gave someone the advice that when you do the wrong thing one time, it becomes easier the next time and eventually it will become a habit. I vowed to not let lack of courage become one of my three bad habits. It takes a great deal of courage to do the right thing every time. As a follower, the balance between accepting and attempting to change the lead dog’s direction can be a big challenge. Courage, value system, knowledge and the ability to present your point well are essential to good followership. The lead dog that would not want your input does not deserve your followership. That dog will only present his behind and an occasional poop-on-the-run. Not a pretty sight. • Manny Roman, CRES, is association business operations manager at Association of Medical Service Providers.
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Imaging Jobs
NOW AVAILABLE htmjobs.com
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Companies like ours have such a difficult time finding qualified candidates for field service roles that it just made sense to publish our opening with HTMJobs. – K. White, HR/Compliance Manager
”
LOOKING TO FILL A POSITION? Visit htmjobs.com/start-posting/ to post a job. Companies that post with us:
MXR Imaging, OSF Healthcare, First Call Parts, Associated Imaging Services, Medical Imaging Solutions, Renovo Solutions, TRIMEDX, Canon Medical Systems, Cal-Ray, Banner Health, Agiliti and many more!
ICE2022 IMAGING CONFERENCE & EXPO FEBRUARY 20-22, 2022 • NAPA, CA
Contact us at htmjobs@mdpublishing.com to learn more about our various posting options!
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X-Ray Field Service Engineer
Radiology Equipment Technician
This person will be responsible for Corrective Maintenance andtroubleshooting of Medical Imaging equipment, scheduled Planned Maintenance (PM) events and installation of medical imaging equipment at customer’s facilities. This position is home office based. Limited overnight travel for service and training is expected.
The Radiology Equipment Technician II (RADT II) performs scheduled maintenance and repairs of a wide variety of medical imaging devices & systems at multiple locations. Examples of these imaging devices & systems are; Portable radiographic, portable fluoroscopic, radiographic unit digital and conventional, radiographic/fluoroscopic digital & conventional Ultrasound, mammography, molecular imaging systems, bone density, etc.
VIEW FULL DETAILS www.htmjobs.com
VIEW FULL DETAILS www.htmjobs.com
VIEW FULL DETAILS www.htmjobs.com
Senior Imaging Service Specialist
Field Service Engineer III-CT/MRI
MRI Service Engineer
Cust Eng III/Field Service CT/Xray/Vascular
Install, maintain, and service equipment within multiple product lines. Provide a high level of support for customers and field service operations by exhibiting a high degree of professionalism.
In your role as a Banner Health MRI Service Engineer, you will work in a fast-paced, and rewarding environment with state-of-the-art technology that directly impacts the patient experience. We provide a robust orientation program to set you up for success. Opportunities for employee development include project and time management, temperament training, leadership academy topics, and vendor-provided technical training.
A Senior Imaging Service Specialist (SISS) performs and documents planned maintenance and repair of medical diagnostic imaging equipment and associated systems under the supervision from service management to perform the required duties.
The Field Service Engineer is responsible for maintaining the customer’s high end medical imaging equipment, including systems applications, quality control, calibration, operating system support, applications support, software support, technical support, and troubleshooting.
VIEW FULL DETAILS www.htmjobs.com
VIEW FULL DETAILS www.htmjobs.com
VIEW FULL DETAILS www.htmjobs.com
Field Service Engineer II
Customer Support Engineer II MRI/CT
X-Ray Service Engineer
Field service on medical imaging equipment. Growth opportunities include Diagnostic Imaging field service engineer servicing multi-vendor/multi-modality equipment in hospital and other environments. Focus is toward c-arms, Digital Mobiles, x-ray systems and digital capture both DR and CR. Additional modalities to include CT, MRI, Ultrasound, and others. Position advancement possibilities will be available when appropriate.
The Customer Support Engineer II installs, inspects, troubleshoots, repairs, calibrates and verifies the performance of medical imaging equipment including, but not limited to: MR and CT systems, general radiographic rooms, portables, mammography, ultrasound, bone density and supporting equipment. MIS is looking to hire a multi-vendor MRI/CT and XRAY Engineer – preferred OEM would be Siemens / Toshiba. This is not an entry level role.
First Call Parts has been providing customers with quality replacement imaging parts since 2009. We pride ourselves in developing a top-notch reputation in the imaging industry as delivering the best in diagnostic imaging replacement parts. We specialize in the sale of refurbished/tested and used, Philips, Siemens, and GE in the Cath/Angio, R/F, and RAD modalities.
VIEW FULL DETAILS www.htmjobs.com
VIEW FULL DETAILS www.htmjobs.com
VIEW FULL DETAILS www.htmjobs.com
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ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
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CARTOON
“Kindness is the language which the deaf “Quote here.” can hear and the Attribution blind can see.” – Mark Twain
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Name Here Puzzle byTitle websudoku.com Employer
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Science Matters
“... composed of loose sand thrown up by the sea, the interior being a swamp covered at flood tides and not worth the expense of a survey” – 1879 survey of Little Ambergris Cay, an uninhabited island in the Turks and Caicos
Island’s swampy biological shield
One of Earth’s most critical ecosystems, the marshy interior of Little Ambergris Cay in the Caribbean, was able to bounce back within months of a catastrophic 2017 hurricane.
The island’s ecological heart is an ancient, fibrous
SCIENCE MATTERS
mat of ground cover that protects and sustains a living community of mangrove trees and many lifeforms
A slice of the mat
In mat’s green surface layer, cyanobacteria produce oxygen, supporting other organisms In pink layer, purple sulfur bacteria break down toxic sulfides
5 cm 1 inch Fibrous, living mat regrows after hurricanes, which are more frequent and severe due to climate change © 2022 TNS
Source: Jill Rosen of Johns Hopkins University; Science Advances journal; Visit Turks and Caicos Islands Graphic: Helen Lee McComas, Tribune News Service
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Brown layer is mostly dead cyanobacterial cells; little animal life; sulfate reducers make toxic sulfides
Visitors are drawn to the island’s pristine sand beaches
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AHRA SCRAPBOOK
AHRA Celebrates 50th Annual Meeting
A
HRA’s Annual Meeting continues to be a premier event for imaging professionals. The 2022 AHRA Annual Meeting was the 50th in the organization’s history. Imaging professionals congregated at the Phoenix Convention Center for the four-day event that featured keynote speakers, educational opportunities, networking events and more.
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.
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1. Risha Grant delivers a keynote address on diversity. Her approach helped attendees understand the concept, without feeling bored, judged or blamed. 2. Incoming AHRA President Brenda DeBastiani joins hundreds at a keynote address. 3. The exhibit hall featured some of the latest innovations. 4. KMG’s booth was a hit with their dunk tank during AHRA. Zach Johnson took a break between dunks to catch up on the latest issue of ICE Magazine.
5. Members of the 626, PhiGEM and ISS team are all smiles at their booth. 6. The KA Imaging group was excited to meet attendees in the exhibit hall. 7. ICE magazine was represented by Emily Hise, Megan Strand and Jayme McKelvey. 8. Ideas were shared during a dinner meeting hosted by ICE magazine.
6
4
7
5 WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM
8 ICEMAGAZINE
53
INDEX
ADVERTISER INDEX Injector Support and Service p. 55 Advanced Health Education Center p. 15
MW Imaging Corp. p. 5
KEI Medical Imaging p. 44 PM Imaging Management p. 44
Association of Medical Service Providers (AMSP) p. 48 KMG p. 44
Ray-Pac® Ray-Pac p. BC
Banner Imaging p. 3
Mammo.com p. 2 Summit Imaging, Inc. p. 35
CM Parts Plus p. 39 Maull Biomedical p. 39
Technical Prospects p. 4
Diagnostic Solutions p. 21 Medical Imaging Solutions p. 9
SOLUTIONS
TriImaging Solutions p. 23
HTMJobs.com p. 46 MedWrench p. 28
ICE Webinars p. 29
W7 Global, LLC. p. 49 Metropolis International p. 35
54
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