ICE Magazine November 2024

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FEATURES

DIRECTOR’S CUT

Women’s health is more than just breast cancer screenings in October.

COVER STORY

Communication is vital when it comes to success, especially in an imaging department where directors and service engineers must be on the same page.

RISING STAR

Meagyn Hawkins is a bright newcomer to the diagnostic imaging realm.

NOVEMBER 2024

IMAGING NEWS

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

PRODUCT FOCUS

ICE Magazine brings you some of the latest devices to help promote safety.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

When leaders genuinely believe in their team’s potential and actively communicate that belief, high performance often becomes reality.

MD

President

Vice

Kristin

Vice

Jayme

Group

Editorial

Editorial

Jason

Verlon

Rachel

Art

Karlee

Kristin

Webinars

Digital

Cindy

Accounting Diane

CHANGING THE NARRATIVE

CHANGE

Through innovation we want to change the perspective in the imaging space.

CONTROL

We want to put the control back in the hands of the decision makers.

COST SAVINGS

We understand our customers goals and we are developing a clear pathway to measurable savings.

Dan Faulkner, CT Tech

Dan has been with Tri-Imaging for 11 years!

JOEL WHITE

FOCUS IN

BY JOHN WALLACE

Joel White, CNMT, is an associate director at Banner Imaging who embraces the leadership challenge and works hard every day to become a more engaged and knowledgeable leader. His entry into the medical imaging world began following some motherly advice.

“I was about 20 years old and trying to pick a major. My mother is very smart and is an MRI technologist. She suggested I look into being a nuclear medicine technologist because ‘They get paid really well and just sit around all day.’ Her words not mine,” White explains. “She stated you had to be smart and like math/science. I also think she knew I liked to help people

and that it would be a good career path for me, but she didn’t say that.”

White adds that visiting health care facilities with his mother as a child influenced his career decision.

“When I was young, I remember visiting her in the X-ray department and remember how awesome it was to see all the films hanging and people talking about them.

I feel like I grew up around health care settings – whether it was the hospital she worked at or the other facilities she worked in,” he says.

His career choice is a decision that continues to bring him joy.

“I love educating and supporting the people on my team. Every day, I get a chance to teach people what I know and how to guide them to be their best self. I love that my team knows they can

Joel White is a dedicated father and an leader within Banner Imaging.

count on me to be there when they need me,” White shares. “I also love that our patients at Banner Imaging are truly grateful that my team members are performing their exams with excellence and delivering care that is above the rest.”

When asked about his greatest accomplishment, White struggles to find a work-related answer.

“I really don’t feel like I have a great accomplishment,” White says. “I have many things I am proud of that I accomplished. Moving to Arizona at 19 years old, earning a nuclear medicine technologist license and scanning for 10 years, and taking the challenge to become a leader ... and site manager of an outpatient imaging site ... and now a director over multiple sites and projects ..., these are all great but, I think the most important to me right now is thriving as a single dad to a beautiful 8-year girl. I cherish the fact that I am responsible for what she has done, who she is now, and what she will be in the future.”

When not parenting his daughter, White serves as an imaging leader who tries to educate and share knowledge.

“My leadership approach has evolved since becoming a leader in health care six years ago. I aim to be the ultimate educator and supporter for my teams,” he says. “I want my team to have the knowledge and tools to succeed. I aim to show my team how to deliver high-quality care by doing it alongside them. I want to make sure I communicate the why and the how so that they can understand my expectations and Banner Imaging’s expectations. Being one team, is important to me. Everyone working in the same direction to deliver high-quality care to our patients.”

“Another strong leadership quality I have, I am not afraid to ask questions, challenge or debate a peer/leader to find the best way to do something,” he adds. “I have learned to do that respectfully and professionally so that our leadership team can be successful in what we do.”

White hopes he can impact those he works with in much the same way he receives positive influence from his superiors.

“I have three mentors and they are still my bosses. I have learned so much from all three of them. As you can imagine, I have learned something different from all of them,” he says. “They have helped me grow from a medical imaging manager to an associate director and maybe a director soon. They have helped me stay grounded, focus on what is important, remain

empathetic, listen more, and be able to communicate better. They have also challenged me to be a better leader and to work every day at that. I have learned from them that a title does not make you a leader. Great leaders don’t walk around telling you how great they are at what they do.”

White predicts the future of imaging will bring “change” and he is already busy preparing for that future.

“I am currently working towards my bachelor’s in health care administration from the University of Phoenix,” he says.

White acknowledges that being a single father, imaging leader and college student takes up a lot of time. However, he does not let it slow him down.

“I am always busy. Soccer practice, single dad, school, writing papers, soccer games, social life, and maintaining a home, and these are reasons to just do the bare minimum because I am busy. Just not in my nature. The point of all that is no matter how much you have going on, if you apply yourself, you will figure out how to get it all done and accomplish what you want to accomplish,” White says. •

JOEL WHITE

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AT BANNER IMAGING

1. What is the last book you read? “The 5 Levels of Leadership”

2. Favorite movie? “Old School”

3. What is something most of your coworkers don’t know about you? I have an ostomy from being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2009.

4. Who is your mentor? Kara Mayeaux

5. What is one thing you do every morning to start your day? 1 cup of coffee

6. Best advice you ever received? It is OK to say you don’t know the answer because no one knows everything.

7. Who has had the biggest influence on your life? My mother, Deborah White

8. What would your superpower be? Invincibility

9. What are your hobbies? Woodworking, collecting comic books, watching movies

10. What is your perfect meal? Roast beef, mashed potatoes, carrots and gravy

RISING STAR

MEAGHYN HAWKINS

Meaghyn Hawkins is a CT technologist with a bright future.

New Orleans native Meaghyn Hawkins, R.T.(R)(CT), is a CT technologist with Aya Healthcare. Hawkins says her health care career began in high school.

Q: HOW DID YOU FIRST DECIDE TO START WORKING IN IMAGING?

A: I decided to pursue a career in imaging after interning in the imaging department at a local hospital during my senior year of high school.

Q: WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR IMAGING TRAINING/ EDUCATION?

A: I completed my imaging training and education at Delgado Community College in New Orleans, Louisiana, where I earned an Associate of Applied Science in Radiography. I am certified by the ARRT in both radiography and computed tomography.

Q: WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF YOUR JOB?

A: The most rewarding aspect of my job is the ability to help patients feel better and contribute to their health care journey.

Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR POSITION?

A: I enjoy the dynamic and unpredictable nature of my position. Every day presents new challenges and opportunities, which keeps the job exciting and engaging.

Q: WHAT INTERESTS YOU THE MOST ABOUT THE IMAGING FIELD?

A: The most interesting aspect of the imaging field for me is being able to see a wide range of patient conditions through the diagnostic scans.

Q: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN YOUR FIELD THUS FAR?

A: My greatest accomplishment in my three years in the field has been obtaining a second modality certification, which has broadened my expertise and capabilities.

Q: WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS?

A: One of my primary career goals for the next five years is to pursue and obtain a bachelor’s degree. •

FAVORITE HOBBY: Painting

FAVORITE SHOW: “This Is Us”

FAVORITE FOOD: Gumbo

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Puerto Rico

1 THING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Ride in a hot air balloon

SOMETHING YOUR CO-WORKERS DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU: I’ve swam with a dolphin.

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Rad idea

SAFEGUARDING PATIENTS DURING MEDICAL EMERGENCIES ON MOBILE IMAGING UNITS

BY ERIN GREEN

Mobile imaging units play a crucial role in delivering health care services to diverse communities, offering diagnostic capabilities directly to patients’ locations. While these units enhance accessibility and convenience, ensuring patient safety, particularly during medical emergencies, is paramount. Some essential steps we take to protect our patients on mobile units are:

1. Emergency Preparedness Training: Our mobile imaging health care personnel undergo comprehensive training in emergency response protocols. This includes CPR, basic life support), and first aid techniques tailored to the unique environment of a mobile unit. Regular drills and simulations can help reinforce skills and ensure readiness to handle various medical emergencies effectively.

2. Mobile Compatible Transfer Devices: Space is limited on mobile units. We make certain that each unit is outfitted with transfer devices that work within specific environments, to include easy access and storage.

3. Communication Systems: Each unit is supplied with Internet and telephones. We work with our radiology informatics team to assign each mobile a municipality specific log-in code for the phone system for sites that do not have an emergency room. This will allow 911 calls to route appropriately. Each unit is stocked with back-up data cables to minimize disruption to Internet connectivity.

4. Clear Emergency Response Protocols: Our mobile

imaging units have clear and standardized protocols for responding to medical emergencies. These protocols outline roles and responsibilities, steps for assessing the situation, activating emergency medical services, and how to aid patients while awaiting further assistance. “Mock Codes” are performed annually at each location, on each unit. These “mocks” involve collaboration with site response teams and emergency rooms. They also allow hospital personnel to acclimate to the mobile’s location at the facility.

5. Post-Emergency Debriefing and Quality Improvement:

After any medical emergency on a mobile imaging unit, conducting a thorough debriefing session is essential to review the response, identify areas of opportunity, and implement corrective actions. This process promotes a culture of continuous learning and quality improvement, ensuring that lessons learned from each incident are applied to enhance future emergency preparedness and patient safety. By implementing these proactive measures, mobile imaging units can effectively safeguard patients who experience medical emergencies, providing reassurance to patients and health care providers. Prioritizing preparedness, communication, collaboration and continuous improvement is essential for ensuring the highest standards of patient care on mobile imaging units. •

– Erin Greene, RT(R)(CT) , is the radiology mobile imaging fleet supervisor with UH.

Share your RAD IDEA via an email to editor@mdpublishing.com.

SPOTLIGHT

Clock Off THE ALPANA PATEL CAMILLI, BS, CRA, (R) (CT)

BY MATT SKOUFALOS

For Alpana Patel Camilli, medical imaging might as well be a family business. In the late 1990s., when her brother was finishing medical school en route to becoming a radiologist — just like their uncle had —her career as an imaging technologist was just taking off. Their cousins, all of whom immigrated from India, as Patel Camilli and her family had, also became technologists, nurses, and physicians. When she says that radiology “was woven into our family fabric,” it’s no exaggeration.

“When we get together at family dinners, we’re talking about interesting cases,” Patel Camilli said.

As the youngest member of an immigrant family, Patel Camilli said that she and her brother were shaped by the unwavering example set by their father, Dinesh Patel, who instilled in them a simple yet powerful mantra from an early age: stay focused and give it your all. Dinesh was committed to giving back, providing interest-free loans to support students in need. These loans allowed recipients to pursue higher education, with repayment deferred until they graduated and gained employment

Today, while working as the manager for Interventional Radiology and Neuroendovascular Surgery at UCSF Health in San Francisco, California, Patel Camilli continues to advance her own education as well, pursuing a master’s degree in public health and health administration.

“I discovered a passion for mentoring new leaders and empowering others while fostering collaborative teams,” she shared. “My inspiration comes from my father, a dedicated philanthropist. Education was always a cornerstone in our family; it’s what helped us move forward after immigrating here.”

Patel Camilli will have the opportunity to follow in her father’s philanthropic footsteps thanks to a new vocational program at UCSF Medical Center. In August 2024, the San Francisco-based Crankstart Foundation awarded the healthcare institution a $14-million grant to create a workforce devel-

opment program intended to train 2,000 San Franciscans for careers in health care by 2030.

Entitled the UCSF Career Pathways Initiative, it encapsulates a partnership among Bay Area Medical Academy, Jewish Vocational Services, YMCA-Bayview, Young Community Developers, City College of San Francisco, and the San Francisco Unified School District. At the conclusion of the program, trainees will be invited to interview for vacancies at UCSF Health clinics, hospitals, and research initiatives.

The UCSF radiology team will help create the program curriculum for radiologic technologists, which comprises an 18-month course of study. It’s intended to take high-school graduates through the training required to work in the field, and also get them the support they might need while enrolled within the program.

The focus of the initiative is to develop career pathways for people from Bay Area communities of historic disinvestment, including, as UCSF noted in its announcement of the award, “people who are unemployed, underemployed and transitional aged youth between the ages of 18 and 24,” as well as “UCSF employees seeking career advancement.”

The university already has clinical instruction affiliations with local colleges, and Patel Camilli said her department is hoping to develop its own rad tech program under Tosca Bridges, UCSF Interim Director of Imaging Operations –Adult Hospital.

“There is a significant staffing challenge in radiology departments across the U.S.,” Patel Camilli noted. “Establishing this program, where students graduate and contribute to the community, will provide tremendous value to the field.”

“We are currently in the planning phase,” she explained. “Our goal is to ensure the program supports working adults and students seeking assistance while pursuing their education, addressing all necessary resources. We aim to bridge the gap in the health care workforce, particularly for critical roles that are in high demand.”

As Patel Camilli anticipates the work of educating the next generation of radiologic technologists and continues on her own academic path, she’s also working with continuing educa-

tion providers South Texas Associates of Radiology (STAR) to develop continuing education unit (CEU) lectures for a broad range of cases.

Patel Camilli attributes her drive to a deep sense of gratitude, a value instilled by her family’s legacy.

“The unwavering dedication of my grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles to philanthropy, particularly in advancing education and health care for underserved communities, has profoundly influenced my journey,” she said. “They’ve poured their hearts into giving children from developing nations the chance to pursue an education in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Beyond that, they’ve spearheaded efforts to build schools and medical clinics in the most remote corners of India and Africa. I’m inspired by their legacy and committed to carrying their torch forward, helping to lift up those who are bound by circumstances they didn’t choose, yet nonetheless deserve every opportunity to thrive.”

“As a woman from a developing country, I deeply understand the cost of the freedoms I enjoy today,” Patel Camilli said. “My parents instilled in me a strong appreciation for the sacrifices made by veterans and civil service workers, which paved the way for the opportunities I now have. That’s why I try and approach every milestone and opportunity with profound gratitude.”

Patel Camilli is passionate about passing these values

down to her 13-year-old daughter, Calypso, a spirited surfer and dedicated environmentalist. Side by side, they dive into community efforts, whether it’s cleaning up beaches or delivering meals to elderly neighbors and veterans. For Patel Camilli, these aren’t just activities; they’re life lessons.

“I want my daughter to see the bigger picture,” she said; “to understand not just the ‘what,’ but the ‘why’ behind giving back, and the ripple effect it creates. It’s a purposeful effort. It gives us a chance to spend quality time together and shift our focus away from the negativity in the world, or the everyday drama at school or work. All those things are temporary in the grand scheme of life.”

An avid birder and lover of the outdoors, Patel Camilli also wants to pursue nonfiction freelancing while she grows her continuing education resume. Those hobbies help balance her down time while broadening her horizons, and yet Patel Camilli is focused on not losing her own narrative thread in the process.

“There’s a lot I’d love to tackle, but my top priority is staying grounded—being present for my family, my team and focusing on nurturing the next generation of leaders,” she said. “My work and personal life are deeply connected, each fueling my drive not only to excel in my career but also to make a meaningful impact on the world around me.” •

Alpana Patel Camilli is passionate about helping others. She learned about helping others from family members and now is sharing that message with her teenage daughter.

debut ice

DOWNTIME TRACE

Downtime Trace CEO Danny Mobley describes the business as being like Uber. Mimicking the familiar features of popular ride-share and food-delivery apps, Downtime Trace is a mobile app that instantly connects health care providers with competent labor and parts options for turnkey service on their medical imaging equipment.

“The app showcases our service brethren – ISOs (independent service organizations), and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), and introducing ‘gig technicians’ – in a LinkedIn/Facebook-style to make it easy for health care providers to see pictures of their service technicians, technical competency and experience on specific makes/models, and ratings and reviews,” Mobley says.

He adds that Downtime Trace pays medical imaging equipment service technicians within hours/days instead of weeks/months! Mobley recently shared more details about Downtime Trace with ICE Magazine.

Q: CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY?

A: With a single press of a button, our mobile technology BLASTs a provider’s service request (known as a “Trace Ticket”) to all pre-matched service options while simultaneously notifying pertinent personnel within the provider’s organization (i.e., biomed/HTM, patient scheduling, pre-determined department leaders, chosen clinicians, and/or executive leaders). Downtime Trace app notifications look just like the notifications/alerts you receive on your favorite mobile apps. Only service options that are pre-matched by make/ model are qualified to receive the BLASTs and return bids in a standard bid format containing “WHAT” they estimate the

problem/solution likely is, “WHEN” they can begin service (estimated onsite arrival time), and “HOW MUCH” they will charge. Providers choose a bid based on the service option’s profile, availability, response time, price, etc.

Finally, like folks entrust ride-share apps to receive payment from the riders and pay the drivers, and like food-delivery apps receive payments from the customers through their app and distribute payments to their delivery drivers, restaurants and stores, Downtime Trace technology serves as the trusted, single-point of payment for health care providers. We receive approved payments and quickly distribute the payments to the service labor and parts entities (within days, not weeks or months). We track all service expenses in the app to allow providers their historic spend on any asset, like seeing past rides on Uber.

Q: HOW DOES YOUR COMPANY STAND OUT IN THE IMAGING SPACE?

A: Downtime Trace pays the service options really fast and keeps it simple for providers, which should stand out quite-abit. We piggy-back off of technology that has been around for 10+ years to give provider’s imaging personnel visibility of and easy access to service options that already exist. We actually have the audacity to try something new that might create more service options by making them easy to find, paying them more, and paying them fast. We will likely stand out most for speedy and easy access to all of the imaging equipment service options and for the savings that naturally come with competition, but I hope we also stand out to the radiology technologists and staff for the fact that we set a single standard that makes their jobs easier and lessens their anxiety when their equipment breaks.

Q: HOW CAN A SINGLE STANDARD MAKE THEIR JOBS EASIER?

A: When a health care provider chooses Downtime Trace over the antiquated methods for ordering and tracking service, it signals their desire for a single standard of service that is far less complicated for their staff than learning hundreds of different policies from hundreds of different service vendors. Providers can easily access, see on their phones, and measure the following relevant service data: response time, downtime/ uptime, performance against repair estimates, ratings/reviews of service technicians, and financial information.

Q: WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY?

A: Downtime Trace is launching this fall! So that’s pretty big for us, but we are especially excited for the gig service technicians and independent service organizations that will have an opportunity to earn supplemental income or more flexibility before the holiday season. A healthy Downtime Trace means we have created more income or freedom for imaging service technicians while saving the health care providers more than 50% of their current spend on imaging equipment maintenance and repairs. Right now, all of that money is going into the hands of large, faceless conglomerates.

There is a lot of excitement about a partnership with an amazing e-sourcing parts company (with great people). Together, we’re stronger and we both have the audacity to believe we can

make the industry better while reducing burnout for our small pool of imaging service technicians and parts providers.

Q: IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE ICE

MAGAZINE READERS TO KNOW?

A: Consider that the best things often seem to be the simplest, and that this technology is a baby-step towards the AI that is coming. Our team cannot believe that no one else has brought this idea to market yet. It has been percolating for many years and we know how fortunate we are that the stars have aligned in a way that has allowed us to build this helpful tool. We feel extremely accountable to the service technicians and health care providers to make sure it gets to market and utilized. It likely won’t be easy, and it will require providers to have a little bit of courage, but it can easily work.

Q: WEBSITE ADDRESS FOR MORE INFORMATION:

A: As the founder of Humans of Healthcare USA, I have become a social media influencer to health care executives, so we naturally value social media platforms as much (or more) than a website (downtimetrace.com). Kindly also visit us at Downtime Trace on YouTube, where we have created a 90-second commercial and some videos that give an overview of what Downtime Trace is, how you can describe it to others, how service technicians interface with the app, and how health care providers interface with the app. •

Imaging News

LOOK AT WHAT’S CHANGING IN THE IMAGING INDUSTRY

GE HEALTHCARE INTRODUCES VENUE POCUS, TABLET-BASED VENUE SPRINT

GE HealthCare recently announced the launch of enhanced Venue ultrasound systems and a new solution setting the pace of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS): Venue Sprint.

The Venue Sprint is a new ultrasound device designed for maximum portability that combines the powerful, familiar Venue software and AI-enabled tools, uncompromised image quality, and wireless probe capability with Vscan Air handheld ultrasound systems. Other Venue family ultrasound systems will also now offer wireless probe connectivity, supplementary advanced clinical tools and the latest ViewPoint 6 updates for increased efficiency and optimized workflow.

“The Venue Sprint – and new enhancements to the Venue family – are designed to empower clinicians to deliver care wherever it is needed with the simplicity, flexibility and support they require to make confident clinical decisions,” said Karley Yoder, general manager, point of care ultrasound and chief digital officer, ultrasound at GE HealthCare. “We are excited to expand and enhance our point of care portfolio with unique solutions that build on our strengths in digital and handheld ultrasound to help clinicians navigate the evolving healthcare landscape.”

Venue Sprint is a portable system in a tablet form with wireless Vscan Air dual-probes enabling clinicians to provide care across a wide range of environments, including critical care, emergency medicine, medical

transport and more. This new ultrasound system brings excellent image quality and a common platform with other Venue systems to simplify the learning process and ensure a consistent experience. Venue Sprint includes AI-enabled resources and documentation tools designed to simplify manual processes and drive consistencytools that can be found across the full Venue family.

Other Venue family ultrasound systems will also gain optional integration of wireless Vscan Air dual-probes, and all Venue family ultrasound systems have access to Caption Guidance, which provides turn-by-turn, onscreen guidance to help capture diagnostic-quality cardiac ultrasound images.  In addition, Venue ultrasound systems feature optional clinical tools to assist users of varying experience levels to conduct patient exams, including: Bladder Volume Tool; Auto Volume Flow; and Venue Coach MSK.

ViewPoint 6 ultrasound reporting software will now expand to Venue Sprint, bringing features like Direct Send that enables a silent workflow for clinicians to review, update and finalize on-board reports for added efficiency.

The latest release of ViewPoint 6 adds features and functionality to align with American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) guidelines, expand into new regions, and improve customer workflow with the ability to configure worksheet templates.

ICE 2025 FEATURES EDUCATION, NETWORKING & MORE

The 2025 Imaging Community Exchange set February 22-24 in Orlando, Florida boasts top-flight educational sessions, a large exhibit hall, networking events and more. Among the additional features are a leadership summit, keynote presentations and a reverse expo.

The ICE registration desk opens at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 22 with Leadership Summit events later in the day. The Leadership Summit is by invitation only.

The next day starts with the registration desk opening at 7 a.m. followed by the first educational sessions kicking off at 9:30 a.m. The second round of educational sessions begin at 11 a.m.

The ICE Break Networking Lunch starts at noon followed by the third educational session time slot at 1:30 p.m.

The first keynote address starts at 2:45 p.m. followed by the Exhibit Hall Grand Opening from 4-6 p.m. Monday, February 24 has 4 educational time slots. The conference concludes with the Poolside Finale Party at 5 p.m.

For more information, visit AttendICE.com

ICE2025

IMAGING CONFERENCE &

EXPO

FEBRUARY 22-24, 2025 • ORLANDO, FL

NEWVUE, KONICA MINOLTA HEALTHCARE PLAN TO ENHANCE RADIOLOGY WORKFLOW

NewVue, a leader in cloud-native radiology workflow solutions, and Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas Inc., a provider of medical diagnostic imaging and healthcare information technology, recently announced a strategic partner agreement. This partnership allows Konica Minolta to offer NewVue’s innovative EmpowerSuite Radiology Workflow Orchestrator and Command Center to its extensive network of health care customers across the U.S., integrating seamlessly with Konica Minolta’s Exa Platform to enhance radiology workflows. EmpowerSuite is a key component of Konica Minolta’s enterprise imaging portfolio.

Through this partnership, NewVue’s solutions will complement the capabilities of the Exa Platform, Konica Minolta’s advanced, web-based PACS, RIS and billing solution. This integration empowers health care providers with advanced tools to streamline operations, optimize clinical decision-making and improve diagnostic efficiency. EmpowerSuite’s AI-driven approach offers tailored worklists based on individual radiologist preferences and clinical priorities, significantly reducing administrative burden and combating radiologist burnout.

“Our partnership with Konica Minolta Healthcare will bring tangible benefits to radiologists, IT teams and radiology groups,” said Kyle Lawton, CEO of NewVue. “Radiologists will experience reduced burnout and increased

productivity through our intelligent, adaptive workflows. IT teams will benefit from our cloud-native, easy-to-deploy solutions that reduce maintenance overhead, while radiology groups can optimize resource allocation, improve turnaround times and enhance overall patient care.”

“Konica Minolta is excited to collaborate with NewVue by integrating EmpowerSuite with our Exa Platform to deliver more productivity tools to our customers,” says Kevin Chlopecki, chief operating officer, Konica Minolta Healthcare HCIT. “Through advanced features on the Exa Platform, such as Server-Side Rendering and Diagnostic Zero Footprint Viewer, radiologists have the speed, flexibility and security they need to maximize efficiency regardless of imaging file size or where they are located. The addition of EmpowerSuite gives radiologists an integrated, AI-driven workspace to enhance reading efficiency, strengthen diagnostic accuracy and help improve patient care. We look forward to a successful partnership that aligns with our commitment to providing innovative health care solutions.”

This referring partner agreement between NewVue and Konica Minolta Healthcare, effective immediately, highlights the shared commitment of the companies to leverage innovative technology to drive operational efficiencies and enhance the quality of health care.

EXO INTRODUCES SWEEPAI

Exo (pronounced “echo”) announces the launch of its ultrasound innovation SweepAI.

SweepAI, now FDA-cleared, brings intelligent cardiac and lung scanning to the Exo Iris. This advanced AI offers instant feedback as a user sweeps through an organ, automatically identifying optimal imaging and using the scan session data to provide diagnostic insights — all in real-time, and without Internet or cloud reliance.

In 2024, Exo has achieved FDA clearance for a total of 4 AI indications, bringing the total clearances to 9. With the launch of SweepAI, Exo Iris now includes automated AI-based indicators for congestive heart failure, detection of acute decompensated heart failure, stroke volume and heart rate, and determination of left ventricular wall hypertrophy.

“What sets SweepAI apart is its seamless feedback in allowing you to navigate to the right views with minimal cognitive overload,” said Dornoosh Zonoobi, vice president of AI at Exo. “With built-in auto-capture tools that monitor your scanning session, you don’t

need to start over if a patient moves. Our AI simplifies the process, ensuring accurate, dependable results every time.”

EXO is also introducing Exo U: the first on-device education platform designed for ultrasound mastery. Exo U offers quick, engaging lessons – think TikTok for POCUS – available right within the app. From probe placement to anatomy recognition, learning ultrasound has never been easier.

“With Exo U, we’re reinventing ultrasound education,” said Arun Nagdev, MD, vice president of Clinical at Exo. “We’re moving beyond long lectures. Now, learning happens in real-time, with AI acting as a coach improving your scanning skills. Pick it up, watch, scan. Simple.”

Exo also announced new software upgrades and features for its Exo Iris device and Exo Works platform, including auto-color, auto-Doppler, auto-eFAST, OB measurements package and more. These updates reaffirm Exo’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of ultrasound technology.

SURGEON LAUNCHES GEAR FOR WORKERS EXPOSED TO RADIATION

Just launched, BAT is a radiation protection garment designed to safeguard the breast, axilla, and thyroid, reducing the risk of breast cancer and other radiation-associated cancers in health care workers.

BAT is a lightweight garment that can be worn with any radioprotective apron, with no attachments needed. With over two million radiation health care workers worldwide, it addresses the critical gaps in radiation protection often overlooked by conventional aprons.

BAT was developed by Dr. Lauren Ramsey, a breast surgical oncologist who lost a friend and colleague to breast cancer and believed her occupational exposure to radiation may have played a role.

“Female orthopedic surgeons have up to a three times higher rate of breast cancer,” noted Ramsey. “Women now make up 55% of medical school attendees and this product was developed with women in mind. BAT reduces radiation to the upper outer quadrant of the breast by over 97%, as well as decreasing exposure to the thyroid, chest, and spine.”

FIRST U.S. INSTALLATION OF CIARTIC MOVE SELFDRIVING MOBILE C-ARM ANNOUNCED

Tahoe Forest Health System of Truckee, Calif., is the first health care facility in the United States to install the Ciartic Move, a fully motorized mobile C-arm from Siemens Healthineers with self-driving capabilities. The system can accelerate and standardize 2D fluoroscopic and 3D cone-beam computed tomography (CT) imaging for surgeons and operating room teams in hospitals and outpatient facilities. Designed for orthopedic, trauma, and spine surgery, it also can be used in thoracic, vascular, cardiovascular, and general surgery, as well as urology and interventional pulmonology.

The system‘s self-driving capabilities automate imaging workflows, reducing the time, effort and workforce capacity required to manually move and position the C-arm. Up to 12 procedure-specific positions can be stored and recalled at the touch of a button, along with related imaging parameters. Users can experience time savings of almost 50% during spine surgery and 55% during pelvic surgery compared with traditional mobile C-arms. A single user can fully operate the system remotely via a wireless control, even from within the sterile field. Its fully motorized chassis and touch-sense handles enable effortless maneuvering. •

OEM NE W

INSIGHTS

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE

Radiation and overall imaging safety are very important when it comes to patient care and health care provider care. ICE Magazine reached out to imaging leaders to gain more knowledge about the latest regulations as well as tips and advice that other leaders can use to keep themselves, their staffs and patients safe.

Participants in this Director’s Circle article on radiation safety are:

• Beth Allen, director of clinical operations with Banner Imaging

• David V. Buczkowski, MSA, RT (R/CT), with Corewell Health

• Aletha Ewing, CT associate manager with Banner Imaging

• Tobias Gilk, senior vice president of RAD-Planning and founder of Gilk Radiology Consultants

• Shannon Luck, R.T.(R)(CT)(ARRT), BA, CRA, RSO; manager, radiation and MR safety; UT Southwestern Medical Center

Note: Allen and Ewing worked together to complete the Q&A.

Q: HOW HAVE RADIATION SAFETY PRACTICES CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

Allen & Ewing: Radiation safety has changed over the years, first by adopting the ALARA principle. Secondly by new research that has identified that medical radiation exposure is different than previously assumed based on historical evidence of radiation exposure from atomic bombs. Based on this we have different shielding guidance from the AAPM. We still utilize risk versus benefit to determine the best use of medical radiation.

Buczkowski: From the end user not a lot of change. But as far as CMS new guidelines, required fields and radiologist report-

ing that seems to be the most movement of change. Some insurance carries will reach out and advise on patients that may have had too many CTs.

Gilk: One of the biggest safety practice changes in MRI we’re seeing is a shift from the idea that 5 Gauss (0.5 milliTesla) ought to be the safety threshold for unscreened persons (sometimes referred to as the ‘pacemaker line’), to 9 Gauss (or 0.9 mT) which is now reconciled with standards developed for the active implanted device industry. This modestly shrinks the volume of space that must be protected from unscreened individuals. The standard shift from 5 Gauss to 9 Gauss happened in a 2022 IEC standard update, which governs the design and manufacture of MRI scanners. While the new standard has been recognized and adopted by the FDA, because it’s a manufacturing standard it may yet be a couple of years before newly developed MRI systems reach market that are required to identify 9 Gauss as the new safety threshold.

Luck: Radiation practices have changed over the years on several fronts: Practices and principles, such as ALARA, Image Wisely, and Imaging Gently have solidified their place as the foundation of radiation safety practices. Regulations have been enhanced over time to ensure a downward trend of ionizing radiation exposure which ensures safety at a greater capacity. Advancements in protective wear and monitoring devices shield users from exposure while also more accurately tracking radiation exposure in real time. The best part is the improvement in education and knowledge users bring to the exam room. Technologists, physicians and physicists take their role in protecting themselves and their patients from unnecessary radiation exposure seriously. They are spending more time learning about updates and training on better safety practices. This exemplifies how radiation safety measures have not only changed but improved over the years.

BETH ALLEN COREWELL HEALTH

DAVID BUCZKOWSKI

BANNER IMAGING

ALETHA EWING RAD PLANNING

BANNER IMAGING

Q: HOW CAN AN IMAGING DEPARTMENT STAY CURRENT ON THE LATEST RADIATION SAFETY GUIDELINES?

Allen & Ewing: Imaging departments can stay current by monitoring articles and forums such as ICE Magazine, the AHRA forum and the ACR.

Buczkowski: Have a robust physics department and monthly RSO meetings. Going over new requirement and talking about radiation safety.

Gilk: In MRI, I always encourage following the safety guidance in the 2024 ACR Manual on MR Safety. But be aware that if your site has ACR MRI accreditation that, alone, is not an indication that your site is complying with the practices outlined in the 2024 Manual. Compliance with the safety criteria in the Manual is not a minimum site compliance requirement for their MRI accreditation.

Luck: More imaging departments are subscribing to journals or newsletters from professional bodies for their staff to keep current on the latest radiation safety guidelines. Empower staff to get involved in their local and state societies by partnering with these organizations to provide meeting spaces which often include educational opportunities. One of the benefits of representing their organization and themselves in the industry is receiving prompt updates about cutting-edge research and emerging trends. What a great way to show you care about their future as an imaging professional!

Encourage attendance at conferences, like the Society of Cardiovascular CT (SCCT) Annual Scientific Meeting which brings together global experts on cardiac CT. They are increasing their collaboration on ways to lower radiation exposure for patients undergoing cardiac studies. They are not the only ones! The American College of Radiology (ACR), the Association for Medical Imaging Management (AHRA), and American Society of Radiologic Technologist (ASRT) recognize their members have a growing desire to protect themselves, their colleagues and their patients. In response, they offer various online and tactile educational resources on radiation safety.

Organizations and departments also have a responsibility to regularly review and update their department’s protocols to align with the latest guidelines. Creating interdepartmental committees with stakeholders outside of the imaging department is a creative way to ensure they are meeting the needs

TOBIAS GILK UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER

SHANNON LUCK

of other service lines in terms of radiation safety. For instance, involving frontline OR staff or the radiation safety officer (RSO) can provide valuable external insights. They can raise questions about the policy that might highlight areas that need clearer explanation.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME TIPS FOR ACHIEVING THE AS LOW AS REASONABLY ACHIEVABLE (ALARA) PRINCIPLE, DEFINED BY FEDERAL REGULATIONS?

Allen & Ewing: Tips to achieve ALARA are to use automatic exposure control and precise positioning.

Buczkowski: Always distance when you can. Having remote fluoroscopy, rotation staff between fluoro and general imaging. Same holds true for IR.

Luck: The ALARA principle is a key concept in radiation safety. Having a RSO on your team that is passionate about exceeding the status-quo should include someone that is continuously evaluating and improving radiation safety practices within the organization. The role should also be filled by someone that never tires of educating and then re-educating staff on safe radiation practices. I feel like a broken record talking about wearing your waist dosimeter under the lead apron, but I love it. ALARA is not a one-time effort but an ongoing commitment to enhance radiation safety practices for staff and patients.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME MRI SAFETY PLANS A HEALTH CARE FACILITY SHOULD HAVE IN PLACE?

Allen & Ewing: Health care facilities should use the ACR MRI Safety Manual as a guide to delineate safety zones, create a coordinated device research and clearance process and a safety focused team.

Buczkowski: Make sure all zones are labeled. Work with local fire departments and security to be well informed on the MRI environment. Have an internal modular training course for ancillary staff EVS, MA’s RN’s etc. Put it on your annual compliance training for every employee.

Gilk: Last year’s ICU bed accident investigation indicates that hospitals who think meeting their accreditation minimums are enough can still find themselves in big trouble. That hospital got skewered by CMS, the state department of health, and

OSHA for a number of factors that I think should be standard for all MRI providers:

Name dedicated MR Safety Officer (MRSO) and MR Medical Director (MRMD), and make sure you can demonstrate the training or credentialing for the individuals in those roles.

If your documented policy says ‘we always’ do something (in this case it was keeping the MRI scanner room door closed), make sure that those performance criteria are actually being done how you describe them.

Have distinct MRI safety training content based on the roles/needs of different individuals, and make sure the site is verifying retention or competency. (The new 2024 ACR Manual on MR Safety has a great new minimum training knowledge table that you might find helpful.)

Make sure your MRI suite physical facilities (i.e., access controls, zones) and equipment (i.e., ferromagnetic detection, MR Conditional equipment) follow current standards.

Luck: MRI safety plans in a health care facility are equally important to radiation safety guidelines. Some plans that a facility should have in place include:

• Increasing and ensuring ample time for screening at the time of the appointment. This may be an unpopular opinion with some managers; however, to help cut down on the number of incidents of patients and non-MRI personnel introducing ferrous materials into zone IV despite asking the patient to change or screening staff at the Zone III doors, staff need to be provided ample time to check and recheck everyone before entering an MRI suite.

• Organizations that have a blame-free reporting system encourage individuals in health care settings to report errors and adverse events without fear of punishment. An increased number of reports is a good indication that staff feel psychologically safe enough to report near-misses and adverse events. “When in doubt report it out” is a great motto to empower staff to ask questions related to MRI and radiation safety.

• Drills in emergency procedures is another safety plan that a health care facility should have in place. We have fire drills, adverse weather and even active shooter drills. It is important to have training that includes drills that cover emergency procedures related to MRI incidents such as quenching, patient evacuation, and how to handle ferrous materials erroneously introduced into Zone IV.

Q: HOW HAS NEW TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED SAFETY FOR STAFF AND PATIENTS?

Allen & Ewing: New technology we have incorporated for safety are ferr alert wands, Trophons, and systems within our EMR to alert us to potential dangers for each patient such as allergies or implanted devices.

Buczkowski: CT we now put in ceiling mounted lift for any new construction. Also put this in zone 2 in MRI for transfer patients.

Gilk: In MRI quite a number of the technology and clinical advancements have actually increased risks. As compared to 20 years ago, we’re seeing stronger magnets, more powerful gradients and RF transmitters. Couple that with the proliferation of patients with high acuities, or implants & devices, and often both. Many technological and clinical shifts in recent MRI have actually ratcheted-up risks for staff and patients!

Luck: There are several technological advancements that enhance safety for staff and patients:

• Automated dose tracking to monitor radiation exposure in real-time help ensure exposure is within safe limits and provides data for continuous improvements.

• Technologies like SPECT/CT and advanced MRI reduce the need for repeated scans by providing clearer pictures on the first attempt.

• AI is now used to personalize treatment plans which also optimize radiation doses, ensuring that the effective dose is used while still achieving diagnostic or therapeutic goals reducing unnecessary exposure to both patients and staff.

Q: WHAT ELSE SHOULD ICE MAGAZINE READERS KNOW ABOUT SAFETY IN THE IMAGING DEPARTMENT?

Allen & Ewing: Everyone needs to put safety first. We are all busy and can easily be distracted, but safety for our patients and our team members needs to be a priority.

Buczkowski: MRI- hire a single MRSO that is dedicated to the system. He/she is the face of MRI safety to the entire organization. Corewell has a robust MRI safety program and have spoken at RSNA/AHRA this year.

Gilk: Those with responsibility for department or enterprise safety should know that minimum safety standards are profoundly unequal across modalities. For ionizing radiation there are licensure, accreditation, and state and federal regulatory requirements (depending on the modality). For non-ionizing modalities, particularly MRI, there are typically zero state or federal regulatory requirements, often little or no licensure safety requirements, and too often the accreditation requirements are fig-leaves, at best. If you want to keep your MRI practice safe, you shouldn’t rely on the external standards, but instead should make sure that your people are appropriately trained and your policies are up to date.

Luck: Just as it’s beneficial to build a good relationship with your human relations representative, it’s equally important to do the same with your RSO/MRSO. Adopting a team approach to uphold radiation and MRI safety practices ensures the department is well-prepared for JC or state surveyors’ visits. It’s far better for your RSO to identify and address issues proactively than to receive avoidable deficiencies. •

“I LOVE THE CONTENT THAT ICE PRODUCES.”

- AUDREY HARRIS, IMAGING EDUCATOR, CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA

“I TRUST AND ENJOY THE CONTENT FROM ICE.”

- HEATHER GRAVES, RADIOLOGY MANAGER, WAYNE COUNTY HOSPITAL

“I PARTICIPATE IN THESE WEBINARS TO ENRICH MY PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THE NEWS IN THE FIELD WITH MY STUDENTS.”

- CALIN CORCIOVA, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, MEDICAL BIOENGINEERING FACULTY

“THEY ALWAYS PRESENT USEFUL INFORMATION.” -KATHRYN HALL, AUDITING MANAGER, STAR MEDICAL AUDITING

PRODUCTS Market Report

RADIATION & IMAGING SAFETY MARKETS PUSH UP

STAFF REPORT

The U.S. diagnostic imaging services market size was valued at $122.41 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from $130.38 billion in 2023 to $206.84 billion by 2030, according to Fortune Business Insights.

Growth of the overall diagnostic imaging market translates into growth of the radiation and imaging safety markets.

The global medical radiation detection market is projected to grow from $1.26 billion in 2024 to $1.89 billion by 2029, with a robust CAGR of 8.5%, according to a news release from MarketsandMarkets.

“This growth is fueled by increasing awareness of radiation hazards, stringent regulations, and a rising incidence of cancer, which amplifies the demand for effective radiation therapy and safety measures,” the release states. “The market, dominated by personal dosimeters and gas-filled detectors, faces challenges such as a shortage of skilled professionals and high raw material costs, particularly for lead. However, favorable government initiatives and health campaigns are driving investments in advanced detection technologies. Key players like Mirion Technologies and Thermo Fisher are innovating with products that enhance monitoring accuracy, responding to the growing need for safety in health care settings. With North America leading the market, the Asia Pacific region is emerging as a promising area for growth, thanks to improving health care standards and increasing radiation safety awareness.”

Personal dosimeters held the largest market share of the product segment of medical radiation, detection and monitoring market in 2023. The high market share of this category can be credited to the higher demand by health care workers as they come to realize the health risks associated with exposure to radiation, which need to be effectively monitored and minimized. Some of the innovations that have come about

include digital dosimeters with real-time monitoring, better accuracy, and ease in data management. This is what has facilitated the use of personal dosimeters in medicine today.

Full body protection products accounted for the largest share of medical radiation safety products, the release states.

“The reasons for this large share of the segment are: growing awareness of the potential health risks associated with radiation exposure deepens an increasing concern about protecting health care workers and patients grows. Regulatory bodies around the world have started implementing stricter radiation safety guidelines in medical environments,” MarketsandMarkets reports. “Innovations in protective materials like lightweight, lead-free options make full-body protection products more comfortable and easier to use without having to make any type of compromise on safety.”

ResearchandMarkets.com also reports continued market growth.

“The global radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market, valued at an estimated $2.9 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $4.4 billion by 2029, growing at (CAGR) of 8.3% during this forecast period,” ResearchAndMarkets.com states.

“This expansion is fueled by a confluence of factors such as the growing defense budgets, the rising global cancer burden, radiation safety consciousness, increased utilization of PET and CT imaging, and the prevalence of nuclear medicine and radiation therapy in medical diagnostics and treatment,” it continues. “However, the industry’s growth faces significant challenges, primarily due to stringent regulatory requirements and the high costs associated with developing and implementing new radiation detection technologies. The needed regulatory approvals for new devices can lead to prolonged development cycles and increased expenses. Additionally, the constant need for innovation and investment can strain resources, particularly for smaller companies in the sector.” •

Product Focus

Radiation Safety

MARSHIELD

Leaded Acrylic and Glass

Leaded acrylic and leaded glass are excellent options for many shielding requirements. Acrylic is shatter-resistant and versatile. It contains 30% lead by weight, combining superb light transmission with effective radiation protection. The clear view Lead Safety Glass is thinner than acrylic and is also resistant to complete breakage and comes in multiple size variations up to 54” x 108”. Acrylic and lead safety glass can be used in a variety of applications such as X-ray room windows, mobile testing machines, modular rooms, laboratory testing facilities and modular rolling barriers. MarShield supplies leaded acrylic and lead glass in any size or thickness required.

*Disclaimer: Products are listed in no particular order.

FUJIFILM

FCT iStream 128 slice CT System

Launched in June, Fujifilm’s new FCT iStream 128-slice computed tomography (CT) system employs advanced technologies and automations to enhance image sharpness, streamline workflow and significantly reduce patient dose. This scanner provides dependable general radiology capabilities, and supports advanced applications including interventional procedures, dual energy acquisitions and basic cardiac CTA. The system’s unique Vision Model iterative reconstruction processing enables dose and image noise reduction, while preserving radiologist preferred image texture. FCT iStream’s iTilt digital gantry tilt combines with its IntelliODM organ dose modulation software to save operator steps while keeping patients’ orbit dose minimized. In addition to its unique dose reduction technologies, FCT iStream leverages HIMAR Plus metal artifact reduction software to detect and correct metal-compromised data. Combining projection data and image data correction, HiMAR Plus delivers excellent image quality, clarifying metal implants and surrounding tissue.

BURLINGTON MEDICAL BAT

BAT reduces the risk of breast cancer and other radiation-associated cancers in health care workers. BAT reduces radiation to the upper outer quadrant of the breast by over 97%, as well as decreasing exposure to the thyroid, chest and spine. BAT is a lightweight garment that can be worn with any radio-protective apron, with no attachments needed. With over two million radiation health care workers worldwide, it addresses the critical gaps in radiation protection often overlooked by conventional aprons. BAT was developed by Dr. Lauren Ramsey, a breast surgical oncologist who lost a friend and colleague to breast cancer and believed her occupational exposure to radiation may have played a role.

KA IMAGING

Reveal Mobi Pro

The Reveal Mobi Pro, integrated with the Reveal 35C, delivers high-quality spectral without adding radiation dose, making it an efficient option especially in challenging environments like the ICU. Featuring patented SpectralDR technology, the Reveal 35C detector provides dual-energy X-ray images in a single exposure, enhancing the visualization of lung conditions and thoracic abnormalities, as well as lines and tubes. Data from a study presented at the American Society of Emergency Radiology Meeting 2024 shows that the Reveal 35C has the potential to reduce the need for follow-up imaging in ICUs, increasing diagnostic confidence, improving patient care and operational efficiency. With SpectralDR technology, the company aims to improve image quality and achieve bone/tissue differentiation in mobile systems while maintaining the ease and simplicity of X-ray.

RAYSAFE X2 System

5

Quality assurance (QA) testing is essential for assessing the condition of an X-ray machine, which is critical for preventing unplanned maintenance, repairs or replacements. More importantly, it ensures high-quality imaging while minimizing patient exposure to radiation. The RaySafe X2 system is designed to provide reliable and user-friendly QA testing, minimizing the need for user interaction. No special settings are required. Equipped with advanced solid-state silicon diode sensor technology and intelligent signal processing, the RaySafe X2 offers exceptional accuracy, reproducibility and sensitivity. This proven system includes sensors for measurements in radiography, fluoroscopy, mammography, computed tomography (CT) and dental applications. It also includes sensors for tube current, voltage, survey and light measurements. All exposures are stored in the Base Unit, which features an intuitive touch screen interface that allows users to view data in a comprehensive, yet flexible manner. The home screen conveniently displays all available measurement parameters from the connected sensor. Users can access detailed information, such as waveforms, directly from the Base Unit. Measurements can also be uploaded to the RaySafe View PC software for export to Excel and further data analysis. The RaySafe X2 system includes a wide range of accessories and test tools for comprehensive X-ray QA testing, such as sensor holders, imaging phantoms, focal spot slit cameras and pinholes.

MRIEQUIP

MR Safe and MR Conditional Medical Equipment

MRIequip is a trusted provider of MR safe and MR conditional medical equipment. It offers a range of high-quality, non-magnetic products designed for use in MR environments, ensuring patient and staff safety. All products that leave MRIequip’s warehouse are double checked with a magnet or Ferromagnetic Detection System to assure safety in rooms with MR Systems.

Product Highlights:

• Non-Magnetic Stretcher with Fowler Crank Assembly: This stretcher is designed with non-magnetic materials and offers an adjustable backrest via the Fowler crank for enhanced patient comfort. Its durable design ensures safe use around MRI machines without compromising imaging quality.

• Non-Magnetic MRI Wheelchair: This wheelchair is MR conditional, constructed with non-magnetic materials, and equipped with a reliable braking system. Its lightweight design makes it easy to maneuver while ensuring no interference with MR systems. Offered in a variety of sizes.

• MRI Stainless Steel Non-Magnetic IV Pole: This IV pole is made of non-magnetic stainless steel, offering adjustable height and stability for MRI use. It is designed to be safe, sturdy, and adaptable in MRI settings.

GUIDE TO RSNA

RSNA 2024 PLENARIES HIGHLIGHT HUMAN-AI CONNECTION

The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) has announced the plenary session slate for the Society’s 110th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting – RSNA 2024: Building Intelligent Connections – to be held December 1 to 5 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The RSNA annual meeting is the world’s leading annual radiology forum, bringing together thousands of attendees from around the world.

A stellar lineup of thought leaders in health care will focus on the bright horizon of radiology and the important role artificial intelligence (AI) plays in empowering radiologists.

In this year’s president’s address, RSNA President Curtis P. Langlotz, M.D., Ph.D., will explore how radiology, more than any other specialty, is poised to leverage the strengths of high-tech solutions, leading to more meaningful patient-centered care.

As the need for clinical imaging outpaces the growth in the radiology workforce, many radiologists face unsustainable workloads that can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction. AI and other new technologies, when implemented ethically and appropriately, will reduce workloads while supporting and enhancing the radiologist’s role.

Langlotz will describe how building collaborative,

intelligent connections between people and technology will energize the care team and redefine how radiologists deliver care, elevating the role of radiologists and allowing them to refocus on the skills and activities that brought them to the profession in the first place.

“These technologies not only improve health care delivery in high-resource settings, but also can improve the skills of providers in underserved areas in North America and around the world,” Langlotz said.

Langlotz is professor of radiology, medicine and biomedical data science, director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging, senior fellow at the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, and senior associate vice provost for research at Stanford University.

Also during the opening session, Nina Ellen Kottler, M.D., M.S., will present “The Only Way to Predict the Future Is to Create It.” Kottler, associate chief medical officer for clinical AI at Radiology Partners in San Diego, California, will highlight how technology, particularly AI, holds the key to improving health care quality, optimizing the patient and physician experience, and lowering costs.

“The fusion of radiology and AI presents a unique opportunity to significantly boost accuracy and effi -

ciency,” she said. “In this presentation, I will provide examples demonstrating how AI-enhanced radiology can revolutionize diagnostics and discuss the importance of intentional bias mitigation to fully realize these benefits.”

During the Monday morning (Dec. 2) keynote address, scientist, cardiologist and author Eric Topol, M.D., will discuss “AI’s Transformation of Medicine.” A cardiologist at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California, Topol is a pioneer in the field of cardiovascular medicine and the author of several books, including “Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again.”

On Tuesday morning (Dec. 3), Carrie Cunningham, M.D., M.P.H., will present “Removing the Mask, v. 2.0,” which addresses the current mental health crisis among health care professionals. Cunningham is an associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, section head of the Endocrine Surgery Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a senior scientist at the Mass General Institute for Technology Assessment.

On Tuesday afternoon, Nicholas A. Christakis, M.D., Ph.D., presents “Social Artificial Intelligence,” touching on AI-human interactions and how bots can help humans in problem solving and making social connections. Christakis is the Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale University. He directs the Human Nature Lab.

RSNA’s popular Image Interpretation Session will be held Monday afternoon. Bruce Burton Forster, M.D.,

FRCPC, will moderate the single-session event, which will cover multiple subspecialties and offer a cross-disciplinary opportunity to test attendees’ knowledge beyond their area of expertise.

The Wednesday morning session will mark the return of radiology’s favorite game show, “Microbial Mayhem: The Pathogenic Party You Won’t Forget!” Moderated by Linda Probyn, M.D., and Lindsey Marie Negrete, M.D., this lively, team-based competition provides a fun break from the annual meeting pace and invites attendees to compete for bragging rights.

The RSNA/AAPM (American Association of Physicists in Medicine) Symposium will be held on Thursday, Dec. 5, and will be moderated by Lifeng Yu, Ph.D., with presentations by David A. Jaffray, Ph.D., and Caroline Chung, M.D., FRCPC.

Also returning is the Fast 5, a high-energy session where five speakers present for five minutes each on topics reflecting the RSNA 2024 theme, Building Intelligent Connections. Radiology professionals worldwide have submitted topics for consideration in this popular annual meeting event.

With an impressive lineup of high-profile speakers and a program of timely, compelling topics, RSNA 2024 is the global radiology forum where the power of imaging, education and collaboration come to life.

The opening session will be held in Arie Crown Theater on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 4 p.m. CT. Other meeting activities begin that morning, including science and education sessions and the Technical Exhibits

In addition to the wonderful talks, the RSNA 2024

The Radiological Society of North America’s 110th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting is set for December 1-5 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The RSNA annual meeting is the world’s leading annual radiology forum.

INSIGHTS

will feature hundreds of the top imaging companies in the massive exhibit hall.

Networking is another big draw and a popular aspect of the annual meeting. RSNA 2024 networking events include the inaugural Welcome Reception and more. Here is a glimpse of what attendees can expect:

RSNA 2024 Welcome Reception : Sunday, Dec. 1, 5:306:30 p.m. CT at Lakeside Center East, Level 3

Connect with fellow attendees and start your evening at the complimentary Welcome Reception following the Opening Session. Drinks and light appetizers will be served in the Connections Center and Learning Center. Open to all RSNA 2024 attendees with a meeting badge

RSNA 5k Fun Run : Tuesday, Dec. 3, 7 a.m. CT at Arvey Field, South Grant Park

Get active during the annual meeting and join your colleagues for a good cause during the RSNA 2024 5k Fun Run. Participation helps improve patient care by supporting research and education in radiology through the RSNA Research & Education Foundation.

Community Service Event : Tuesday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. CT at McCormick Place

Make a positive impact during RSNA 2024 by volunteering your time! Join RSNA’s Health Equity Committee to assemble winter kits for donation to Chicago non-profit, Cradles to Crayons. Cradles to Crayons provides children from birth through age 12, who are experiencing homelessness or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school and at play.

Exhibit Hall Happy Hour : Tuesday, Dec. 3, 3-5 p.m. CT

Raise a glass to RSNA 2024 during a free happy hour event in the Technical Exhibits! Participating exhibitors will serve appetizers and beverages at their booths on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 3-5 p.m. Connect with industry influencers, colleagues and friends in a relaxed and social atmosphere.

RSNA After Dark: Wednesday, Dec. 4, 9 p.m.-midnight CT

Put on your dancing shoes for the social event of the

week and join us for an all-attendee party, RSNA After Dark. This ticketed event held at one of Chicago nightlife’s glitziest locales – TAO Chicago – includes entry to the venue, open bar, small bites and music from a world-class DJ. Get your tickets early when you register for RSNA 2024!

Exhibit Tours

Join one of our new, guided tours through the Technical Exhibits to connect with other attendees, industry leaders and gain insight and a VIP look at cutting-edge technology and equipment.

Take an inside look at exhibits focused on:

• What’s New at RSNA 2024

• Innovations in Imaging AI

• AI and Workflow Support Tours are available for $50 per person, per tour, as an add-on to your annual meeting experience. Refreshments will be provided before each tour.

RSNA Connect

Join a group meet-up for conversation about current topics in radiology. Attend any of these informal gatherings to connect with peers, share ideas, discuss challenges and find your community. Topics for each meet-up are coming soon.

The Art of Imaging : Learning Center

Admire your colleague’s creativity and browse The Art of Imaging exhibit located in the Learning Center, featuring medical images altered to become works of art in a variety of mediums:

• Radiology Art – Medical images altered to become works of art.

• Connections through Art – Images illustrating the power of connections.

• Artificial Intelligence Art – Images representing AI or created using AI.

Printed copies of the top picks from each category will be on display in The Art of Imaging exhibit area of the Learning Center. •

For more information, visit https://reg.meeting.rsna.org/flow/ rsna/rsna24/MeetingCentralRSNA24/page/landingpage

At Your Service

DEFINING ROLES AMONG IMAGING LEADERS AND EQUIPMENT TECHNICIANS

BY MATT SKOUFALOS

The relationship between an imaging director and a service technician can vary greatly from site to site, and institution to institution. In some environments, it’s highly personal, “much like working with the engineer who maintains a high-performance machine like a Ferrari,” said Geoff Hunt, vice-president of imaging services for Crothall Healthcare Technology Solutions.

“You want the equipment to perform at its best every time, so technical expertise is crucial,” Hunt said. “Since you spend a fair amount of time together, personal demeanor and professional appearance are important. Trust and respect are essential.”

Michelle Nocera, director of radiology academic market at University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio, described the relationship between imaging directors and service technicians as “interdependent” to ensure that imaging equipment is functioning optimally. Technicians rely on directors for guidance and priority-setting, which requires mutual trust and clear communication of needs and goals, Nocera said.

Under other circumstances, the relationship between the technicians and the imaging director isn’t as important as the relationship between the technicians and the managers or lead technologists of a given modality. Kelsey Mach, director of imaging and cardiology at CHI St. Luke’s Brazosport Hospital in Lake Jackson, Texas, puts more of an emphasis on her role negotiating service contracts and communicating with service management.

“Health care delivery systems exemplify complexity in organizations and rely on service techs to maintain equipment to effectively maintain workflow,” Mach said. “Coordination between imaging directors and service techs is essential when providing high-quality patient care, [and] having a familiar and respectful rapport with one another is important when relying heavily on communication between the two.”

Whether they’re part of an in-house or third-party service team, most imaging specialists typically have the closest relationships with their direct managers, as most of their work is coordinated with team leads and imaging supervisors, said Dean Skillicorn, medical imaging service manager of clinical engineering at St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho.

Skillicorn said that it’s important for those leaders to manage service events, with technicians keeping any conversations with leadership “brief and concise,” and “immediately escalat[ing] service-related issues through their company management structure.”

“Rule of thumb: If you are a technician and involved in discussions with a director, immediate escalation should occur with your manager,” Skillicorn said. “The challenge I have seen

in my career, and where most technicians get compromised, is they try to over-explain situations, or they become defensive about service delivery. They should be counseled by their leaders to be brief in discussing service delivery or serious equipment reliability issues, and provide an escalation path to their manager for further discussion if the situation merits it.”

Even amid best efforts to resolve differences in personality and maintain clearly established lines of communication, some aspects of the relationship between imaging leaders and service technicians are natural sticking points – plainly, Nocera noted, including service timelines and equipment uptime. If neither party is realistic about those goals, or if communication is strained, issues can arise.

Mach elaborated further, explaining that imaging leaders may have different ideas or expectations about the methods of service, or the origins of problems with imaging equipment, or even have a greater familiarity with the equipment than their service technicians do. This can be a source of disagreements that can stifle productivity.

“These scenarios can cause friction between the leader and the tech due to the technician’s help not being appreciated, and the leader frustrated because they do not feel heard,” Mach said.

Mario Pistilli, director of imaging services at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, agreed.

“Where I have seen friction it usually boils down to poor communication,” Pistill said. “The relationship starts to break down when the service tech doesn’t respond or doesn’t keep the customer informed on timing or parts availability.”

To avoid such circumstances, Hunt advises tackling questions about costs, scope of work, hours of availability, and related issues as early in the process as possible. Talking about these needs from the beginning of the process facilitates healthier interactions as well as avoiding other potential sources of conflict.

“Our approach offers greater flexibility and control, allowing us to prioritize patient care and clinician support while focusing on efficient equipment service,” Hunt said. “A healthy partnership involves open discussions about proactive measures, including allocating adequate time for thorough preventive maintenance. It also fosters open communication about emerging or intermittent issues, enabling timely troubleshooting and repairs before component failure occurs.”

Eric Massey, regional director of national field service for Crothall, added that it’s often helpful to revisit such conversations throughout the relationship with intermittent check-ins that reaffirm goals, expectations, and paths to achieve the desired outcomes.

“With open communication, they can anticipate needs, ad-

COVER STORY

dress challenges efficiently, and deliver superior outcomes, all while maintaining the highest standards of care and service,” Massey said.

Sometimes, communication between service technicians and imaging leaders can be complicated by their status as in-house or third-party service providers.

Nocera said she’s seen in-group and out-group dynamics in circumstances where communication about processes and priorities is unclear.

Pistilli said he’s encountered “reluctance” among in-house teams to call for vendor services for help resolving issues if they fear they’ll be called on the carpet for incurring additional costs. That anxiety can sometimes delay final repairs, he said.

Sometimes, budget issues are the whole of the departmental priority, Mach noted. If service technicians diagnose a problem and recommend a fix that’s not covered within departmental resources, the equipment won’t be fixed. That can put the onus back on the technicians to justify the cost of the work.

In other cases, a repair can be further complicated by adding additional teams or decision-makers into the process. Hunt noted that the greater the complexity of those conversations, the more challenging the service process can become. That’s where the clarity and trust established as early as possible in the relationship will be tested.

“Clear protocols and processes should be established upfront: who contacts the third-party, who manages the process, and who is responsible for closing the service event with proper documentation,” he said. “Building a trusting relationship and defining clear communication and process flows can significantly reduce confusion and ensure smooth operations.”

Massey said that sometimes third-party service technicians can find themselves having to justify their capabilities to new customers, or to in-house teams, either of whom may have only had an understanding of service as provided by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

“Our engineers are trained to read schematics and troubleshoot down to the component level, providing a level of technical expertise that goes beyond basic support,” he said. “Since our engineers are on-site and supported by regional resources, we can respond quickly and efficiently.”

When all the pieces work together, however, system repairs can be effectuated quickly and seamlessly. Massey de-

scribed a circumstance where a client in Alabama lost two CT systems at the same time, and teams had them back up and running within five hours “thanks to immediate remote access support, an on-site engineer, and parts from our forward stocking location.”

Regardless of whether technicians work in-house, third-party, or OEM roles, Skillicorn advised that they should be focused on delivering optimal customer service through clear communication with an aim at preserving and managing key relationships among all parties.

“My philosophy as an in-house leader is that all technicians, regardless of whether they work directly for my employer, or work for an ISO or OEM, are technically a part of my in-house team as we manage the relationships, service and financials,” he said.

No matter who’s in charge of servicing imaging equipment, preventive maintenance (PM) work remains the best way to eliminate service-related downtimes. Routine service appointments allow for equipment to be taken offline at scheduled downtimes rather than emergently due to an undiagnosed failure. This approach mitigates the impact of parts and equipment failures to an entire department, its staff, and patients, eliminating the work of rescheduling exams and allowing for controls to the cost of fixes. Imaging managers and service technicians agree that although this is the ideal circumstance, it takes work to manage and coordinate.

Pistilli said his priority concern with preventive maintenance is scheduling the work without disrupting the normal operations of the imaging department. To that end, Nocera added, her organization asks its imaging leaders to schedule preventive maintenance service a year in advance.

The PM scheduling process “requires coordination across multiple roles,” Hunt said, including imaging directors, department managers, and equipment engineers, all of which will help relay expectations to service technicians. The work of the service team is to certify timely completion of maintenance “with trained engineers available, high-quality parts ready, and all necessary tools and documentation prepared.”

Massey noted that some scheduled maintenance work can last more than eight hours, and must anticipate how the rest of the department functions during equipment downtimes. Some facilities may even need to divert patients for lack of access to imaging services.

Skillicorn said that equipment downtime correlates directly

“Supporting technical staff, regardless of whom the employer is, will result in service-level attainment and success for the health care delivery organization.” - Mario Pistilli

with how service delivery is structured, with corrective maintenance covering emergency, non-emergency, and scheduled upgrades, like cybersecurity patches, technical upgrades, and parts recalls.

He recommended establishing service-level agreements (SLAs) for each modality in an organization, with clear paths of responsibility in leadership, maintenance, and finance. Critically, coordinating those efforts among in-house and external service teams is necessary to certify that maintenance schedules and goals align.

“Technicians should not be involved in this focus of service delivery scheduling except to ensure availability with management,” Skillicorn said. “This is a management issue. Scheduled management meetings with service providers should occur on a regular frequency to review uptime, service level agreements and service delivery strategies; doing so will provide insight that is immeasurable to the success of the organization.”

As communication among imaging leadership and service technicians remains a foundational aspect of delivering high-quality service and maintenance, fostering a sense of common purpose among everyone involved helps to strengthen those relationships. Asked whether there’s anything either party in the conversation wishes the other one knew about their respective roles, Hunt said it’s about developing a deeper mutual understanding of the issues at work for each.

“For directors, the priority is ensuring seamless equipment performance to support patient care and clinical outcomes, while engineers are focused on maintaining complex systems and ensuring prompt repairs,” he said.

Nocera said imaging leaders always want to communicate the breadth of organizational pressures around downtime, while service technicians likely wish those leaders grasped the constraints and challenges related to restoring equipment functionality to full service.

“As a director, I wish that the service techs would know how much stress a down machine causes the techs (technologists),” Mach said. “When a machine goes down, it is up to the tech (technologist) to call all the patients that are on the schedule, call all the doctor’s offices, call the floors and call the emergency department with regular updates on what’s wrong with the machine and when they think it will be up again. When something is down, the techs (technologists) then have to find a workaround for that issue, and still stay productive.”

Pistilli echoed those remarks, adding that institutional financial pressures and patient backlogs can be compounded by equipment downtimes.

“As a service engineer, I often wished imaging directors understood the complexities of repairs, which can be lengthy and involve multiple issues,” Massey said. “The engineer is required to complete all repairs according to OEM specifications with no shortcuts to reduce repair time.”

“If a calibration does not pass on the first attempt, the engineer is required to make an adjustment and run the test again,” he said. “This could add another four hours to a repair

and should not reflect on the engineer’s ability but rather their commitment to following proper process.”

Among all the critical needs service technicians are asked to fulfill, “the most critical is building a strong, collaborative relationship,” Hunt said. “Taking the time to establish clear expectations around outcomes, processes, and communication is key. When this foundation is in place, it becomes much easier to navigate challenges and address any specific needs that arise.”

Nocera pointed out that imaging leaders should understand that service technicians need time and opportunity to train on the equipment they’re repairing, especially as that technology becomes ever more complex and challenging to maintain. Pistilli emphasized the need for qualified staffing and high-quality parts as critical to maintaining technology that runs “way past end-of-life.”

Skillicorn spoke about integrating imaging services teams with those from healthcare technology management, facilities, information technology, and supply chain, the better to coalesce institutional philosophies, chains of command, and clarity of expectations.

“It is our responsibility as service leaders to support our service technicians, regardless of who employs them, with appropriate management practices to allow them to do their job and service equipment,” he said.

Above all else, all parties involved in technology management benefit from strong, effective communication, including clearly defined roles and expectations of them. Hunt described the interconnection of “taking responsibility for shared outcomes and mutual success” among leaders and service teams.

“Leadership needs service engineers to demonstrate their commitment to the health care mission, as service delivery functions like a supply chain: competitive costs, timely delivery, and uncompromised quality are the core pillars,” he said. “Equally important, though harder to measure, are the relationships, trust, and common goals we build together. Ideally, the focus shifts from the contract itself to the outcomes we collaborate to achieve.”

Pistilli said imaging leaders need timely responses to service issues and first-time-through fixes. For their part, he said, leadership can support those outcomes by making themselves available to participate in solutions and showing respect to service technicians. A major component of the latter involves discretion in outlining the scale and scope of the problem, deciding which equipment downtimes are emergent, and not treating every service interruption as though it were “a fivealarm fire,” he said.

The best way to facilitate these outcomes, Skillicorn said, is for imaging leadership “to provide an environment of success for technicians,” developing institutional philosophies for technical training, equipment testing and documentation, and resource allocation tools.

“Supporting technical staff, regardless of whom the employer is, will result in service-level attainment and success for the healthcare delivery organization,” he added. •

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BY NICOLE DHANRAJ

QUOTAS TO GENUINE INCLUSIVITY?

Arecent conversation with health care imaging professionals was an eye-opener. Many expressed strong reservations about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, with some feeling that these efforts are more about ticking boxes than creating real change. This reaction saddened me, but it helps us understand the work we still need to do as the response underscores the uphill task of making DEI meaningful in our workplaces.

DEI isn’t just a buzzword – it’s crucial for enhancing patient care and fostering innovation, especially in imaging departments. While it’s easy to view DEI as merely about meeting quotas, its true aim is to bring together various experiences and perspectives that can benefit everyone – patients and colleagues alike.

One common concern expressed is that DEI hires might get an unfair advantage over more qualified candidates.

Let’s unpack this a bit. The idea of the “best person for the job” is often more about subjective judgments than objective standards. Hiring decisions are influenced by personal biases and preferences, which can cloud our view of who is truly the best fit. Many DEI candidates are not only qualified but might even bring extra value to the table.

It’s crucial to see that DEI candidates often come with unique experiences and skills that might not fit neatly into traditional qualification boxes. They might have faced and overcome significant obstacles, demonstrating resilience and creativity that can greatly benefit a team. These qualities are sometimes over -

looked when we focus only on conventional measures like educational background or years of experience.

Critics often misunderstand DEI initiatives as lowering standards or giving less qualified candidates an edge.

In reality, DEI efforts aim to expand the candidate pool and make the hiring process fairer. They help level the playing field, ensuring everyone, regardless of background, has a fair shot at competing for roles.

It’s also worth noting that the idea of who is “more qualified” can be subjective and influenced by systemic biases. Candidates from diverse backgrounds might offer different but equally valuable perspectives. Traditional metrics should assess their qualifications and how well they can contribute to the team’s success and align with the organization’s needs.

So, how can we address these concerns? Organizations should strive for a fair and transparent hiring process. This means setting clear evaluation criteria, offering unconscious bias training for hiring panels, and ensuring every candidate is given a fair chance.

DEI isn’t about compromising on quality; it’s about enriching our talent pool and making fair assessments.

The belief that DEI hires are unfairly advantaged often comes from misconceptions and biases. Many DEI candidates are just as qualified – if not more so –than their peers.

Let’s educate our peers and teams on our fair and inclusive hiring processes. Let’s help move beyond these biases and work toward a more inclusive workforce appreciating the full range of talents and experiences that each candidate brings. •

Nicole Dhanraj, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, PMP, GPHR, CPSS, CRA, R.T(R)(CT)(MR), is an experienced imaging director.

DIRECTOR’S CUT

BY BETH ALLEN CRA, RT(R)(CT)

OPROMOTE WOMEN’S HEALTH AWARENESS EVERY MONTH

ctober is a month that we highlight women’s health and focus on mammography. A mammogram appointment does not need to occur in October. Anytime of year is a good time for a mammogram. In fact, it may be easier to get an appointment in any other month. Regardless of when, a mammogram should be done.

Over the years, breast cancer awareness has been a successful campaign to make sure women prioritize themselves and take the time to get a quick and easy mammogram. There are many memes out there making fun of being squished in the mammo machine or other less than pleasant aspects of the exam. The important message, though, is that each mother, sister, daughter, grandma, wife, or girlfriend within the recommended age group should get a screening mammogram. Early detection can save her life.

What about the other screening exams performed in imaging?

One example is low dose CT lung screening. Women have a 1 in 17 chance of developing lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. I did some quick research with my good friend, Google, and it was easy to find information regarding the extremely low number of women who qualify that have a CT lung screening. I also found information about how the lung cancer rate for women is increasing drastically. In an article I found on the National Library of Medicine, called “Examining Gender Differences in Lung Cancer Screening” (Randhawa S, Sferra SR, Das C, Kaiser LR, Ma GX, Erkmen CP. Examining Gender Differences in Lung Cancer Screening. J Community Health. 2020 Oct;45(5):1038-104), from 1979 to 2020, the incidence of lung cancer dropped by 35%, while it rose by 87% for women. Lung cancer mortality in women has increased over 600% since 1950.

Often, lung cancer in women is detected at an advanced stage, making it more difficult to treat. I found that there are various theories as to why this is, but it highlights the importance of screening those women that meet the criteria. The recommendations from the United States Preventive Services

Task Force include women and men aged 50-80 that have a minimum 20 pack-year smoking history and have not quit within the last 15 years. This CT scan is quicker than a mammogram and no squishing required.

Lung cancer kills more women than breast cancer.

I discovered an article titled “Ten reasons to screen women at risk of lung cancer”. (Revel, MP., Chassagnon, G. Ten reasons to screen women at risk of lung cancer. Insights Imaging 14, 176 (2023). https://rdcu.be/dR2Oi

This article was written as a recommendation for European women, but I would argue that it rings true for all women. The point that caught my eye was #7- “From an organizational point of view, lung cancer screening could be combined with breast cancer screening.” Many locations offer both mammography and CT, so having both exams performed on the same day would be easy and convenient for women. The age recommendations closely align so this could become part of a patient’s annual wellness conversation with her provider.

Numbers 9 and 10 highlight the fact that lung cancer screening is also an opportunity to screen for osteoporosis and coronary heart disease in women, which are a couple of very important value additions to the CT scan.

The conclusion of the article makes a strong argument for why it would be important to increase the number of women that are screened for lung cancer for our communities at large.

“In addition to all these reasons, women can contribute to smoking prevention by encouraging their partners and children to not smoke or stop smoking, as women are more often concerned about the health of others than their own. This could help build a new tobacco-free generation.”

Let’s get the message out to each mother, sister, daughter, grandma, wife, or girlfriend that is a smoker or former smoker, that lung screening is an additional path to early detection. It could save her life.

Thanks for all you do! •

Beth Allen CRA, RT(R)(CT), is the director of clinical operations with Banner Imaging.

BY MARK WATTS PACS/IT/AI

REGULATORY CHALLENGES OF LLMS

Large language models (LLM) have the potential to transform health care. But when will this transformation occur? In my experience working in a large health care organization, there’s a clear caution against the use of LLMs for tasks like translation: “Never use AI for translation!”

Currently, most LLMs are released globally without country-specific iterations, requiring regulators to adopt a global approach. However, it remains unclear which technical category LLMs will fall into from a regulatory perspective. Given the differences between LLMs and earlier deep learning methods, there may be a need for a new regulatory category to address the unique challenges and risks posed by LLMs.

Regulators may need to design regulations for LLMs if developers claim that their models can be used for medical purposes or if LLMs are explicitly developed or adapted for such uses. While many widespread LLMs might not meet these criteria, medical-specific LLMs trained on health care data likely will.

One notable example is Med-PaLM, a model developed by DeepMind and Google researchers. Their study introduced a framework for evaluating model outputs along various axes, including factuality, precision, potential harm and bias. Utilizing innovative prompting strategies, Med-PaLM achieved 67.6% accuracy on the U.S. Medical License Exam questions, surpassing previous benchmarks. Although it shows promise, it still falls short

compared to human clinicians. In contrast, GPT-4 has since achieved over 85% accuracy on the same exam.

With GPT-4’s capabilities expanding to analyze not just text but also images, it’s expected that future models will be able to process documents, research papers, handwritten notes, audio and video.

Regulatory discussions around LLMs, although not limited to health care, have begun to surface. A working paper by Hacker et al. proposes a new terminology to describe the AI value chain, differentiating among developers, deployers, professional users and recipients of LLM outputs. The authors suggest four key strategies to ensure the trustworthy deployment of LLMs: focusing on highrisk applications rather than pre-trained models, and implementing (i) transparency obligations, (ii) risk management protocols, (iii) non-discrimination provisions and (iv) content moderation rules.

Existing auditing procedures, however, fail to adequately address the governance challenges posed by LLMs. To bridge this gap, I propose three contributions: 1) establishing the need for new auditing procedures tailored to LLM risks; 2) outlining a blueprint for auditing LLMs based on best practices from IT governance and systems engineering; and 3) discussing the inherent limitations of auditing LLMs. These potential solutions could serve as benchmarks for new health care regulations. As the dynamics of LLMs evolve rapidly, it is crucial for regulators and lawmakers to act swiftly.

The urgency of regulatory action was underscored in March 2023 when a group of prominent figures, including Elon Musk

and Steve Wozniak, called for a six-month pause on the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. Their letter expressed concern over an “out-of-control race” in AI development, urging for a public and verifiable pause to ensure safety.

However, AI experts like Andrew Ng argued against a moratorium, emphasizing the need to balance the immense value AI brings against realistic risks. He pointed out that a government-imposed pause could hinder competition and innovation.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that Italy became the first Western nation to temporarily block ChatGPT in April 2023 due to privacy concerns and regulatory gaps.

While LLMs hold tremendous promise for the future of health care, their use also presents risks and ethical dilemmas. By adopting a proactive regulatory approach, we can harness the potential of AI-driven technologies like LLMs while minimizing harm and maintaining trust among patients and health care providers.

Moreover, LLMs could pioneer a new category of AI-based medical technologies regulated through patient-centered design. This would involve patients in the highest levels of decision-making, ensuring that these rapidly evolving AI tools address real clinical and patient needs.

Regulation cannot simply focus on existing LLM models; it must also consider future iterations that are likely

to be implemented at a similar pace. Without this foresight, regulations targeting only current models may miss significant updates as they become available. Companies that have already obtained FDA approval for their medical technologies will face additional challenges when integrating LLMs, as they must navigate how new AI components will be regulated.

Here I summarize what we can expect regulators to do about bringing LLMs to the practice of medicine.

• Create a new regulatory category for LLMs as those are distinctively different from AI-based medical technologies that have gone through regulation already.

• Provide regulatory guidance for companies and health care organizations about how they can deploy LLMs into their existing products and services.

• Create a regulatory framework that not only covers text-based interactions but possible future iterations such as analyzing sound or video.

• Provide a framework for making a distinction between LLMs specifically trained on medical data and LLMs trained for non-medical purposes.

• Similar to the FDA’s Digital Health Pre-Cert Program, it regulates companies developing LLMs instead of regulating every single LLM iteration. •

Mark Watts is an experienced imaging professional who founded an AI company called Zenlike.ai.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

BY DANIEL BOBINSKI

LTHE POWER OF HIGH EXPECTATIONS

et me tell you about Dr. Rosens (not his real name). After 10 years at the same hospital, he was known for setting high standards yet being encouraging at the same time. One day he noticed a new young doctor struggling with a complex case. He knew he could coach her, but instead he wanted to boost her self-confidence. He told her, “I know you can handle this. You have the skills.” Encouraged by these words, the young doctor dove into the challenge. She collaborated with her colleagues and ultimately found a solution. Before long, the patient recovered.

Yes, Dr. Rosens could have stepped in to help, but that wouldn’t have enhanced the young doctor’s self-confidence. Instead, Rosens conveyed his faith in her abilities, and she rose to the challenge. Interestingly, that young doctor developed a similar practice of communicating her faith in her coworkers’ abilities to perform.

THE PYGMALION EFFECT

The truth is that when leaders genuinely believe in their team’s potential and actively communicate that belief, high performance often becomes reality. This concept is closely aligned to the Pygmalion Effect.

For those who don’t know, the Pygmalion effect is a psychological phenomenon named after the Greek myth of Pygmalion, a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he created, which then came to life. The idea is that our beliefs shape our outcomes.

The term was popularized after a 1968 elementary school study called “Pygmalion in the Classroom.” In that study, all students in a particular school took intelligence tests at the beginning of the academic year. Without even looking at the test results, researchers randomly selected 20% of the students and told the teachers that these children’s test scores showed they had unusually high potential for rapid academic growth.

Eight months later, all students were tested again, and researchers found that those children who were labeled as having high potential scored significantly higher on the follow-up tests compared to their peers. This was despite the fact that

the only difference between the selected students and others was in the mind of the teachers.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS MUST BE COMMUNICATED

Effective leadership goes beyond merely holding high expectations, it requires actively communicating and reinforcing these expectations to bring out the best in our teams. This proactive approach involves several key tactics.

1. Teach how to set goals. Effective leaders understand the importance of creating ambitious yet attainable targets that push their teams beyond their comfort zones. Therefore, teach people how to set goals. Goals should be specific, measurable, and identify specific actions to be taken. They also need an expected time of completion. When first starting out, involve team members when setting goals, as that creates deeper levels of buy-in. By setting the bar high and communicating confidence in each person’s capabilities, leaders cultivate confidence in their team members.

2. Give feedback. Feedback is best if it’s constructive and specific. In other words, saying something like, “Great work” is minimal feedback, at best. Solid, constructive feedback is saying, “I love the way you guys thought through ‘x’ to get around the ‘z’ obstacle. The solution you found also saves us money.” Feedback should also be timely, meaning take initiative and praise good performance as soon as possible after it occurs Also, don’t milk it. If you take more than a minute, you’re taking too long. If a situation requires you to address something that needs improvement, try to address that in a separate feedback session. Whenever possible, it’s a good idea not to mix positive and negative feedback in the same conversation.

3. Encourage risk taking. When team members feel safe taking risks, they’re more likely to innovate, think creatively and push boundaries to find viable solutions. This doesn’t mean encouraging reckless behavior. It means fostering atmospheres in which well-considered risks are seen as opportunities for learning and growth. Just remember that when failures occur (and they will), effective leaders use these as teachable moments. Instead of focusing on what

went wrong, ask what went right and perhaps something like, “What lessons can be gleaned from what happened?”

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

While it’s true that powerful results can come from setting high expectations, the practice can fall flat on its face. The person setting high expectations must also demonstrate the same high standards expected of others. This applies to both actual work plus one’s attitude toward work.

Some behavioral styles set high expectations for others but regularly make excuses for themselves. Success may occur for such leaders in the short term, but over time, team members develop attitudes of resentment and sometimes even passive aggressiveness.

Also, if a leader expects high standards, that leader should be ready to invest in those standards becoming a reality. Human resources development is a completely different field than human resource management. Those in leadership must be willing to invest in their teams’ skill development.

Allow me also to emphasize the need for listening. When teams or individuals are challenged to solve high-level problems, they may arrive at solutions that the leader has never considered. Just because a solution doesn’t fit into a leader’s conception of normal does not invalidate the solution. Patience is key here. Choose to value and consider all ideas. This doesn’t mean all ideas must be identified as good nor that all ideas must be implemented. It does mean that all ideas

should be explored and weighed for their potential ripple effects before being implemented or rejected.

INCREASED TRUST AND MOTIVATION

Many leaders struggle with building passion-driven teams. To be clear, passion is developed, not forced. A powerful ingredient for that is creating conditions for people’s natural motivations to be recognized and rewarded.

People want to succeed. They want to know they’re doing a good job. They want to be recognized for having intellect and being useful. With that in mind, when leaders set high standards and equip their teams with the tools and encouragement to meet those standards, team members feel more valued and trusted. Their natural motivations emerge. And, when given good feedback, they learn that they’re capable of excellence.

When those things happen, workplace collaboration improves and people develop attitudes of excellence. •

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 208-649-6400.

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MEDICINE FOR THE SOUL

3 ESSENTIAL STEPS TO LOVE YOUR HEART

Taking steps to improve your overall health can help you live a longer, healthier life. One key component of overall well-being – heart health – is especially critical as heart disease has been the leading cause of death among Americans since 1950, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Adopting habits like exercising regularly, eating a heart-healthy diet with lots of vegetables and fruits like grapes and getting the proper amount of sleep can set you on the right path.

EXERCISE REGULARLY

Getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, as recommended by the American Heart Association, can have a positive impact on heart health by lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation and aiding in maintaining a healthy weight.

GET THE PROPER AMOUNT OF SLEEP

A crucial component of heart health, experts recommend adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Creating a cozy sleep space by turning off electronics and setting the thermostat to a comfortable temperature

is the first step toward a restful night’s sleep. Also aim for consistency with your bedtime routine, including going to sleep and waking at the same times each day (including weekends), for best results.

EAT A HEART-HEALTHY DIET

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats can have a positive impact on heart health and may lower your risk for heart disease. For example, grapes are easy to keep on hand as a heart-healthy snack. They have no saturated fat or cholesterol and are low in sodium; contain 7% of the daily recommended intake of potassium; and are a good source of vitamin K. Grapes are also a natural source of beneficial antioxidants and other polyphenols and help maintain healthy circulation by promoting the relaxation of blood vessels.

Research suggests eating grapes daily helps support heart health. In one study, for example, women who consumed 1 1/4 cups of grapes every day benefited from reduced blood triglyceride levels, LDL cholesterol levels, inflammatory proteins and other markers of heart disease.

Learn more about the heart-health benefits of grapes, and find additional heart-friendly recipes, at GrapesFromCalifornia.com. •

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