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JULY 2020 | VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 7

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IMAGING PROFESSIONALS

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ICEMAGAZINE | JULY 2020

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

JULY 2020

IMAGING NEWS

ICE shares news, trends and hot topics from throughout the diagnostic imaging community.

44 RAD HR

Focus on small steps to tackle large projects and avoid becoming overwhelmed.

27 PRODUCT FOCUS

The global radiation detection, monitoring and safety market is expected to grow in the near future.

MAKING THE CASE FOR MAKING THE GRADE The CRA exam tests the knowledge and expertise of prospective credential holders in five categories: human resource management, asset resource management, fiscal management, operations management and communication and information management.

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OFF THE CLOCK

Preferred Diagnostic Equipment Service President Richard Hollis is a volunteer dive master with the L.A. County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SHARK Program (an acronym for Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s High Adventure for Responsible Kids). ICEMAGAZINE

MD Publishing 1015 Tyrone Rd. Ste. 120 Tyrone, GA 30290 Phone: 800-906-3373 Fax: 770-632-9090 Publisher

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CONTENTS

SPOTLIGHT 10

Rising Star Rachel Thiesse-Yount, MD Anderson Cancer Center

In Focus Wesley Harden, Lexington Medical Center

Off the Clock Richard Hollis, Preferred Diagnostic Equipment Service, Inc.

Rad Idea Employees’ Well-Being

John Wallace Erin Register

NEWS

Art Department

Editorial

Jonathan Riley Karlee Gower Amanda Purser

PRODUCTS

Webinars

Account Executives

Editorial Board

INSIGHTS

Linda Hasluem

Jayme McKelvey Megan Cabot

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

Circulation

Lisa Lisle Jennifer Godwin

Digital Department Cindy Galindo Kennedy Krieg

Accounting Diane Costea

Market Report Reports Forecast Radiology Safety Market Growth

Product Focus Radiology

Coding/Billing Get Credit for Your Duplex

Department/Operational Issues I Have a Meeting

Avante Proper Cleaning and Disinfection of Ultrasound Systems and Probes

Director’s Cut New Approaches to Employee Recognition

Rad HR Eating the Elephant

PACS/IT Changing for Good!

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

ICE Magazine (Vol. 4, Issue #7) July 2020 is published by MD Publishing, 1015 Tyrone Rd., Ste. 120, Tyrone, GA 30290. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ICE Magazine at 1015 Tyrone Rd., Ste. 120, Tyrone, GA 30290.

Emotional Intelligence Prescription for a Better Workplace

For subscription information visit www.theicecommunity.com. The information and opinions expressed in the articles and advertisements herein are those of the writer and/or advertiser, and not necessarily those of the publisher. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. © 2020

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AMSP Member Directory

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ICE Break

ICEMAGAZINE | JULY 2020

Summit Imaging Preventing Cross Contamination and Ensuring Image Quality on Tee Ultrasound Technology

AMSP Member Profile Technical Prospects Index ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

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SPOTLIGHT

RISING

STAR

RACHEL THIESSE-YOUNT BY ERIN REGISTER

FUN FACTS Favorite Hobby: Gardening

Favorite Show: “The Curse of Oak Island”

Favorite Food: Italian (Complemented with wine!)

Secret Talent: Maybe plumbing-related! My dad owned a plumbing business for over 60 years, so I somehow have an innate ability to fix leaking faucets, install fixtures in my newly built house and guide my husband on do-ityourself bathroom projects.

ICEMAGAZINE | JULY 2020

achel Thiesse-Yount’s imaging career journey began in 1988 when she was accepted into the nuclear medicine program at Triton Community College in River Grove, Illinois. In May of 1991, she graduated with an associate’s degree of applied science in nuclear medicine technology. “I had been working as a technologist for five years when an opportunity to become an applications specialist for Siemens Nuclear Medicine division became available,” said Thiesse-Yount. “I supported customers via the call center for applications support and then transitioned to field applications training for new equipment installations.” In 1999, she left Siemens and moved to Houston, Texas. “I had an opportunity in 2002 to learn PET with a mobile imaging company and began my learning and interest in this field,” she stated. “I transitioned back to a hospital-based position in 2009 at Memorial Hermann Health System as a quality manager for the ambulatory division. For five years, my primary role included Joint Commission preparedness for the system’s outpatient imaging centers, sports medicine and rehabilitation centers and diagnostic lab offices. In 2014, I transitioned to a director of operations position and have been managing multi-modality operations, including breast services, since then.” ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR POSITION? A: My position affords me opportunities to refine my servant leadership skills. I enjoy daily collaborations with my team on operations. I enjoy teaching them about management tasks to build on their professional development; I seek to encourage promotion, as that is, for me, the best compliment! My staff teach me things, as well. I learn how to be a better listener and better understand what their needs are versus what my perception is. My opportunity to work with senior leaders and network is equally beneficial.

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

Rachel Thiesse-Yount and her husband hiking in Colorado.

Thiesse-Yount is currently working for MD Anderson Cancer Center in its League City facility as the manager of diagnostic imaging. This is a new business expansion into the community surrounding Houston, and she manages a multi-modality department there, as well.

Q: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO GET INTO THIS FIELD? A: I chose health care, because I really enjoy learning about science and the human body. While in my freshman year high school biology class, my interest in genetics and body systems really accelerated to the point that I was seeking high learning opportunities at local colleges. I chose nuclear medicine, because I had never heard of this modality before and neither did other people I knew! This unknown imaging area intrigued me to learn more. I also had, and still possess, a genuine need to care for other people. Life is augmented by the interactions we have with others, and I wanted to positively impact those who were in need of medical care. A smiling face and warm personality helps to ease anxiety. I had that to give! WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM

A: Imaging provides me constant learning, whether I like it or not! For my time thus far with MD Anderson, the technological advancements and treatment options for the cancer population is most interesting. This organization has access to the most advanced imaging equipment being offered, and this translates to better quality of care. The faculty conducting research are implementing new trials for drugs, which translates to better quality of life. Advancing health through imaging is of great importance to me.

Q: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN YOUR FIELD THUS FAR? A: My greatest accomplishment took place four years ago when I had the opportunity to manage operations of a newly acquired breast services facility. The acquisition required integration of the operations, staff and IT to the Memorial Hermann structure. We were successful in our approach and two years later relocated that stand-alone business to a convenient care center in which I operationalized expansion of imaging services to include multi-modality non-breast services as well.

Q: WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? A: My personal goals include completion of a Master in Science program through the University of Texas and traveling internationally. Professionally, I look forward to an opportunity of expanding my management scope to director of operations for a regional care center. However, MD Anderson is a fantastic employer that supports professional development so there may be opportunities that I am yet to discover. â&#x20AC;˘ ICEMAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT

IN FOCUS WESLEY HARDEN

uthor Catherine Pulsifer once wrote, “In all aspects of our lives balance is key.”

Wes Harden is seen with his wife, Tracy, and their twin children Jared and Jamie.

ICEMAGAZINE | JULY 2020

Lexington Medical Center Director of Imaging Services Wesley “Wes” Harden agrees – even if he finds balance in an unusual place. “We are living in interesting times right now. There are lots of things that can stress imaging leaders out. I think it is important to remind everyone to stay balanced. Take time to breathe, to rejuvenate, to refocus,” Harden explains. “It is very easy to go full steam and say you don’t have time. But you have to make the time! Be good to yourself so you can be there for those around you – whether work life or personal life. Stay balanced!” Harden is able to “make the time” during his commute to work. It is not a daily commute, but rather a six-hour trek in his new Dodge Ram truck that takes him back and forth from his home in Lake Mary, Florida and his job in West Columbia, South Carolina. He typically leaves for work on Sunday evenings and returns home on Friday nights. He lives in an apartment very close to work while in South Carolina. The commute wasn’t intended to endure for five years (he was hired in 2015), but one thing lead to another and it just made sense for his wife, Tracy, and children to stay in Florida. His son/daughter twins, Jared and Jamie, were in their senior year of high

school when he accepted the job at Lexington Medical Center. Today, they are in college. However, aging parents and in-laws made the decision to remain a Florida resident an easy one. He said his time behind the wheel often provides time to reflect on events, destress and find balance. Harden’s career is another interesting journey. Growing up, his father worked in construction while his mother was an imaging professional. He helped them both as a child and pursued a contractor’s license before shifting his focus to a career in diagnostic imaging. “My mother was a radiologic technologist and mammographer, so I was interested in radiology at an early age. I can remember going to the hospital with her when she was on call and pushing the portable around for her,” Harden shares. “I guess I had an early interest in radiology. I tried a couple of other career paths, but ultimately landed back on radiology. While going to X-ray school, I became a transporter in the department and have been in the field ever since!” Helping others is a very rewarding aspect of the job for Harden. “I love working with my team (of 240) and making a difference in the patient care continuum,” Harden says. “Imaging service touches so many patients throughout their care plan and knowing that you helped ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

WESLEY “WES” HARDEN Director of Imaging Services Lexington Medical Center

What is the last book you read? Or, what book are you reading currently? “Good to Great” by Jim Collins Favorite movie? John Wick Trilogy What is something most of your coworkers don’t know about you? I once drove a 1965 Corvette Stingray 130 miles an hour! Who is your mentor? I don’t have one right now per se. I do have several folks I look up to and seek council from – one being David Fox from AHRA. He is a great servant leader and has always given great advice.

Wes Harden, who has a six-hour commute to work, says, “I love working with my team.”

make a difference in a positive way is very fulfilling!” However, it wasn’t until he discovered AHRA that Harden began to realize his full potential. “An early mentor to me was a director I had in Florida, Earl Berry. He taught me a lot about leadership and running radiology departments. He is the one who introduced me to the AHRA,” Harden recalls. “He got me to join AHRA in 2003-04 and it really changed my life.” He explains that up until that point he did not have a career path or a blueprint to follow. Harden says that AHRA does a tremendous job of providing tools and pathways for imaging professionals looking to advance their careers to become imaging directors or leaders within health care. Berry also imparted knowledge that Harden continues to use. “My biggest take away from him was the importance of data analysis in the decision-making process. Don’t collect data just to collect data. Collect data that helps you make good decisions,” Harden says. He tries to pay it forward by helping others. “I have done some mentoring in the past. WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM

I would not say I am currently a mentor in the truest sense, but I have been working with someone who has probably educated me as much as I have tried to educate him,” Harden says. “It is more collaborative than mentor/mentee. It has been fun to see him grow and he recently got a really good job offer that is going to give him a chance to grow even more. I could not be happier for him!” As a director of imaging services, Harden says he uses a variety of leadership approaches to empower and motivate the imaging professionals he works with at Lexington Medical Center. “I would say it is dependent on the person I am leading. Some of it is bringing them along and some of it is letting them run. What I mean is, I think you have to know your people and find out what they need,” he shares. “Some are new and need guidance, so you give them tools and bring them along at their pace. Others are more matured in their leadership and you can give them a task and let them run with it. Sometimes it is a combination of the two to get the best results.” In other words, it is a balanced approach. •

What is one thing you do every morning to start your day? Coffee. [The] day just isn’t right til that first sip! Best advice you ever received? You don’t have to know everything. But surround yourself with people you trust who know things you don’t. Who has had the biggest influence on your life? My father. [He] made me the man I am today. What would your superpower be? Laughter. I believe it is the best medicine. What are your hobbies? Growing pineapples. I have about 25 plants. This year so far I have 16 pineapples to harvest. What is your perfect meal? Steak on the grill, loaded baked potato, green beans.

ICEMAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT SHARK instructors, pictured from left to right, are Richard Hollis, Andy Graziano, Joe Leach, and Mike Tommaney.

Off Clock THE

RICHARD HOLLIS, PREFERRED DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT SERVICE INC. BY MATT SKOUFALOS

or the past five years, Richard Hollis has donned a 7m wetsuit, buoyancy control device, mask, snorkel, and fins, and taken to the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean with a group of high-schoolers in tow. Hollis, president of Preferred Diagnostic Equipment Service Inc., is a volunteer dive master with the L.A. County Sheriff’s SHARK Program (an acronym for Sheriff’s High Adventure for Responsible Kids). The program offers at-risk California teens the chance to sign a contract with some big incentives for increasing their grade point averages and classroom attendance. “They’re trying to take these kids and let them work with the sheriff’s deputies; let them get to 14

ICEMAGAZINE | JULY 2020

know these deputies, that they’re not just the guy who comes when something bad happens,” Hollis said. Among the rewards is the opportunity to attend a weeklong dive school, which culminates in an experience off the waters of Laguna Beach or the shores of the Channel Islands. “Some of these kids live in L.A. and have never seen the ocean,” Hollis said. “We take them on a weeklong diving experience, take them out in the ocean, and let them dive and see what’s under the water.” The majority of SHARK staffers are volunteers, including Hollis, who’s been with the program for a half-decade. The owner of Preferred Diagnostic Imaging of Corona, California, he’s a service engineer by trade, but a diver by avocation. A Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certified dive master, Hollis assists the ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

Participants in the SHARK Program often see seals during their dives.

SHARK program dive instructors as a volunteer. He sees his role as an opportunity to give back to the community; to help “people who maybe aren’t given the same fair chance that you were given as a child,” he said. For Hollis, diving is also a way to combat his own claustrophobia, which he said had contributed to a lifelong fear of scuba diving. It wasn’t until seven years ago, when he participated in an introductory PADI program, Discover Scuba, that things started to change for him. “You do some classwork and dive with a tank of air in a swimming pool,” Hollis said. “I started diving and I haven’t stopped. I got certified seven years ago.” The SHARK program offers an expanded version of that experience

SHARK participants practice in a pool before diving in open water.

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over the course of a week. Starting on a Sunday, participants take about four hours of classroom training on different types of diving equipment, including breathing instructions, water safety, a swim test and gear assignments. Then, Tuesday and Wednesday nights bring three-hour swimming pool sessions in which students practice important skills like finding lost regulators, clearing masks and adjusting equipment underwater, “so if something happens, they don’t panic,” Hollis said. “Before we get them on the ocean, we get about six hours with them in the pool,” he said. “Then we get on a dive boat Thursday night.” In the middle of the night, the boat then heads out to its destination – typically, one of the Channel Islands off Laguna Beach, California – where the group participates in two or three dives. “We show them sea life,” Hollis said. “We’ll see octopus, lobsters, sharks, if we’re lucky. Pretty much in SoCal, we see leopard sharks or horn sharks. They’re really afraid of people, and it’s hard to want to be around us.” There are lots of seals as well – or as Hollis calls them, “sea puppies” – who come up and play with divers, mimicking their activities, spinning and blowing bubbles.

“They’re extremely fun to swim with; difficult to fish with,” he said. “You can go to the aquarium; it’s not the same as swimming along with them.” In addition to moments like those, in which divers and teens get to interact with aquatic life, Hollis said there are also opportunities to help their young charges develop some resilience as well. He recollected a time when one student, Danielle, was sent to retrieve diving tanks from the car and didn’t come back. When he went to check on her, Hollis found the young woman sitting in her car, tears streaming down her face. “I can’t do this,” Danielle said. “I’m scared.” “We’re all scared,” he told her. “I’ll hold your hand, and we’ll get through it.” Danielle “freaked out the first time, but she made it,” Hollis said. He held her hand through four subsequent dives, and as she progressed to the advanced diving course, Danielle found the courage to complete the dive on her own. In May 2020, she graduated with a degree in marine biology. “That’s why you do this,” Hollis said. “You’re helping people do things and see things that they would never see before. That’s a satisfaction you’ll never get in the imaging industry.” Hollis has dove in a number of environments across the country, from shipwrecks in Florida and San Diego to the Channel Islands and Laguna Beach. The native Louisianian said he’d like to go back for some diving in the Gulf of Mexico someday, but in the meantime, he’s happy just getting into the water and out of his day-to-day worries. “It’s very peaceful,” Hollis said. “You’re weightless. Wherever we travel, we try to dive. We want to see the difference in the marine life; in the different types of fish. That’s what changes around the world when you dive.” His advice for those who’ve never taken the plunge? “Try to do it if you get the chance,” Hollis said. “It’s rewarding. It’s a whole different world.” • ICEMAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT

Rad idea EMPLOYEES’ WELL-BEING BY NICOLE DHANRAJ, PH.D, SHRM-SCP, PMP, CRA, R.T (R)(CT)(MR)

mployees from every industry were significantly overwhelmed and panicked as a result of the recent COVID-19 crisis. Leaders within many imaging departments tweeted, posted and called for help in trying to ensure their employees’ well-being. Their employees were under significant strain, some lashing out, others unable to work due to stress and familial obligations. Some leaders even lamented they felt their ethics and values were compromised because of the situation their employees had to work in and thought it very difficult to maintain employee motivation and calmness in the chaos that laid before them. So, what should be done to keep an employee’s mental health in a crisis? Though there is no one size fits all approach, there is a common element to getting through any crisis; you, as the leader and your actions. Yes, though there are specific strategies to improve employ-

ICEMAGAZINE | JULY 2020

ees’ mental health, the catalyst for preventing mental health decline in a crisis and building resilience, is you and your actions as a leader. Here are a few thoughts for imaging leaders to consider to better support employees. • A crisis reveals what’s inside. People will often blame others for what’s happening. As such, you have to be prepared that your employees will throw blame at you, spew, withdraw, and think the worse of you as a leader. You should not take this personally, this is a natural reaction to fear, and uncertainty. When their world becomes disrupted, people blame others. So, if you find your staff blaming you, remember, it’s a natural process. Acknowledge their fears and allow a safe space for expression. This may be all an employee needs to move forward. • No need to fix it. Leaders do not have to have all the answers and therefore fix everything. Some people are born to lead in a crisis, but others learn, usually by experience. As a leader, though your employees may seem like they think you may have all the answers, they know you are human, and as such not perfect and will make mistakes or be short of an answer occasionally. A display of vulnerability supports an authen-

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

Knowledge. Experience. Integrity. < / ŚĞůƉƐ ǇŽƵ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌ DZ/ ĂŶĚ d /ŵĂŐŝŶŐ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ƚŽ ǇŽƵƌ ƉĂƚŝĞŶƚƐ͘ KEI helps you deliver MRI and CT Imaging Services to your tŝƚŚ ŽƵƌ ƚĞĂŵ ŽĨ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶǀĞŶƚŽƌǇ ƐƉĞĐŝĂůŝƐƚƐ͕ < / ŝƐ ǇŽƵƌ WŚŝůŝƉƐ ƌĞƐŽƵƌĐĞ patients. With our team of service engineers and inventory ĨŽƌ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ƉĂƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĨŝĞůĚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ͘ < / ƌĞĂĐŚĞƐ ĞǀĞƌǇ ƚŝŵĞ ǌŽŶĞ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬƐ ƚŽ ŵŝŶŝŵŝǌĞ ĚŽǁŶ ƚŝŵĞ ĂŶĚ ĐŽƐƚůǇ ĚŝƐƌƵƉƚŝŽŶƐ ƚŽ ǇŽƵƌ ǁŽƌŬĨůŽǁ͘ WĂƌƚŶĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ < /͕ ĐĂůů ƚŽĚĂǇ͘ specialists, KEI is your Philips resource for system parts and

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tic relationship with them. Don’t be afraid to share your concerns but do so with judgment. Don’t feed your fears, acknowledge your feelings before they overtake your GE, Toshiba, Siemens, behavior. Sharing your concerns can bring your team toPhilips, Hologic gether, tightening their relationships. Together as a team, you can brainstorm possible answers to how some of the < / ŚĞůƉƐ ǇŽƵ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌ DZ/ ĂŶĚ d /ŵĂŐŝŶŐ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ƚŽ ǇŽƵƌ ƉĂƚŝĞŶƚƐ͘ critical questions; how do we staff, how do we sustain our tŝƚŚ ŽƵƌ ƚĞĂŵ ŽĨ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶǀĞŶƚŽƌǇ ƐƉĞĐŝĂůŝƐƚƐ͕ < / ŝƐ ǇŽƵƌ WŚŝůŝƉƐ ƌĞƐŽ PPE, what is the next step we should take in this crisis, or ĨŽƌ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ƉĂƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĨŝĞůĚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ͘ < / ƌĞĂĐŚĞƐ ĞǀĞƌǇ ƚŝŵĞ ǌŽŶĞ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬƐ ƚŽ ŵŝŶŝŵ what is my future at this organization? Remember, the ĚŽǁŶ ƚŝŵĞ ĂŶĚ ĐŽƐƚůǇ ĚŝƐƌƵƉƚŝŽŶƐ ƚŽ ǇŽƵƌ ǁŽƌŬĨůŽǁ͘ WĂƌƚŶĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ < /͕ ĐĂůů ƚŽĚĂǇ collective thoughts of a group are much more useful than one perspective. Including your team and hearing from SOLUTIONS that what would work for them, versus you enforcing Tel: 512.477.1500 Email: info@keimedicalimaging.com plans without input would foster confidence and a sense of ownership, and not to mention, the understanding, this Member of|IAMERs PARTS | TRAINING EQUIPMENT too shall pass. Your words become your team’s reality. In TECHNICAL & SERVICE SUPPORT a crisis, you are already somewhat worse off, so shift the mindset to think about what is the best outcome in the given situation? •

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FOR MORE TIPS read the unabridged article at tinyurl.com/RadIdeaJuly.

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Imaging News A LOOK AT WHAT’S CHANGING IN THE IMAGING INDUSTRY

UNITED IMAGING uMR OMEGA CLEARED BY FDA United Imaging announced U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of the uMR OMEGA magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The uMR OMEGA offers an ultra-wide 75-cm bore. With the widest bore in the market at any field strength, uMR OMEGA provides a unique, patient-centric experience designed to accommodate a wide range of patients, according to a press release. “The uMR OMEGA is a significant breakthrough. With this new scanner, United Imaging addresses the needs of health care providers to comfortably accommodate more patients in their community, including much of the 40 percent of the U.S. population suffering from obesity and the 2.5 percent of the population suffering from claustrophobia,” said Jeffrey Bundy, Ph.D., chief executive officer at UIH Solutions. “The uMR OMEGA represents a critical advance for patients who will now have access to an enhanced patient experience and a more accommodating MRI scanning environment. This FDA clearance is another huge milestone for our company, as we continually work to set standards in all modalities and make these state-of-the-art capabilities accessible to more communities in the United States and abroad. We are proud to add uMR OMEGA to our already expansive portfolio of medical imaging devices.” With an industry-leading 75-cm bore and 680-pound table capacity, uMR OMEGA addresses evolving demographics in the U.S. community, not only improving

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patient comfort for all but creating, for the first time, an MRI for bariatric patients. The scanner adeptly serves pediatric and geriatric patients with faster scanning for both children and seniors who cannot stay still for long periods of time. Health care providers can offer new services, such as acute imaging in the emergency room with an ultra-fast 5-minute stroke protocol and cardiac imaging with a single breath-hold that significantly reduces the number of required scans. “At United Imaging, we are all driven by patient experience: focusing on it, understanding it, improving it,” said Abram Voorhees, vice president of MR. “We intimately understand the anxiety that individuals can experience while undergoing an MRI, as well as the physical limitations of MRI machines today that can make a potentially life-saving study inaccessible. uMR OMEGA was created to remove the obstacles that often limit access for patients. Today’s important announcement brings to light a critical need for our communities — and health care overall.” Added CEO Bundy, “I’ve seen first-hand over the past decades how meaningful comfort is to patients in a bore, and it was important to us that we innovated in a way that removes barriers to care for more people.” The U.S. is the first country in the world to receive uMR OMEGA. It received its FDA clearance in March and will be installed in United Imaging’s Houston showroom facility in the summer of 2020. •

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RADLOGICS’ AI-POWERED APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE ON THE NUANCE AI MARKETPLACE RADLogics recently announced that its AI-Powered medical imaging applications designed to assist in the detection and quantification of findings associated with COVID-19 will be available on the Nuance AI Marketplace. The Nuance AI Marketplace is a portal with onestop access to a wide range of AI diagnostic models from within a most widely used radiology reporting platform. Following the announcement of global deployments of RADLogics’ AI-Powered devices, the availability of RADLogics’ applications on the Nuance AI Marketplace include patient triage and disease extent measurements, using imaging findings on CT and X-ray scans. Access to these applications will help meet the growing demand in the U.S. for these solutions that have the capacity to process 1 million CT and 10 million X-rays studies per day through the RADLogics’ cloud-based platform. RADLogics’ AI-Powered software includes algorithms that not only detect abnormalities on chest CTs and X-rays, but also provide automatic triage alerts to the radiologist to help ensure potential findings are reviewed in a timely matter. In addition, the AI-Powered devices provide quantitative analysis of the CT and X-ray images for patients with suspected COVID-19 disease including a score that can help monitor findings over time. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, RADLogics has dedicated the company’s resources to modify, adapt, and deploy its algorithms to detect lung abnormalities that are compatible with COVID-19 in appropriate clinical settings. The Nuance AI Marketplace functions like an app store dedicated to radiology. It gives algorithm developers consolidated, at-scale access to users of Nuance PowerScribe, the radiology reporting system trusted by approximately 80 percent of U.S. radiologists across more than 7,000 connected health care facilities. Radiologists can discover, test, and use AI models from within their familiar PowerScribe reporting and worklist workflows to increase reporting efficiency and quality, and to help care teams improve performance and reduce health care costs. A built-in feedback channel lets users share real-world results with developers for AI model refinement and post-market surveillance. Hospital systems benefit with simplified purchasing and metrics showing model usage, costs and performance. •

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LES EDSALL JOINS INNOVATUS IMAGING Innovatus Imaging recently announced Les Edsall as the company’s director of quality and regulatory and general manager of Pittsburgh MRI Coil Center of Excellence. Edsall will be responsible for continuous improvement of existing ISO 13485:2016 Quality Les Edsall Systems, regulatory clearances and compliance and coordination of corporate quality and regulatory activities for all Innovatus Imaging Centers of Excellence as well as operations in Pittsburgh for MRI coil repair. Edsall comes to Innovatus with over 25 years of experience in quality and regulatory with Philips Healthcare, Philips Respironics, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Abbott Laboratories and other organizations. He holds a Six Sigma Master Black Belt and is a winner of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality award. Dave Johnson, CEO of Innovatus Imaging, said, “The addition of Les Edsall to Innovatus Imaging will take our organization to yet another unparalleled level of quality, compliance and conformance. We are thrilled have him join the team.” •

IMAGING TRAINING We offer technical, hands-on courses to help biomeds move into imaging service; as well as model specific training! Visit www.TriImaging.com for more info.

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FDA CLEARS GE HEALTHCARE’S DEEP LEARNING-BASED MR IMAGE RECONSTRUCTION GE Healthcare has announced U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance of AIR Recon DL. “This pioneering technology, using a deep learning-based neural network, improves the patient experience through shorter scan times while also increasing diagnostic confidence with better image quality across all anatomies. AIR Recon DL, developed on GE Healthcare’s Edison intelligence platform, seamlessly integrates into the clinical workflow to generate AIR Recon DL images in real-time at the operator’s console,” according to a press release. Until now, there was an inherent compromise in MR between image quality and scan time. Better image quality achieved through higher signal-to-noise (SNR) and/or spatial resolution needed to show anatomical detail necessitated long scan times. Shorter scans, aimed to improve patient comfort and productivity, compromised image quality and diagnostic confidence. “Now with AIR Recon DL, clinicians and technologists will no longer have to choose between image quality and scan time,” the release states. “In our experience, [AIR Recon DL] enables us to back off on the number of [signal] averages or achieve a higher matrix, to either save on scan time or achieve a higher resolution image,” said Dr. Hollis Potter, chairman of the department of radiology and imaging at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Unlike conventional post processing-based approaches that can obscure image detail, AIR Recon DL is a deep learning-based reconstruction engine making full use of raw data for maximum image quality. In addition to improving SNR, this technology features a unique intelligent ringing suppression that preserves fine image details, helping address two common pain points for radiologists and technologists – image noise and ringing. AIR Recon DL was developed in partnership with global institutions and has been evaluated on thousands of cases across a wide range of anatomies and patient demographics. Feedback from clinical users has been overwhelmingly positive, including users noticing sharp-

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er and less noisy images enabling shorter scan times, increased reader confidence, reducing the need for repeat scans, and more scan-to-scan consistency. “We are proud to bring the next generation of MR image reconstruction to the industry leveraging the latest technological revolution in artificial intelligence,” said Jie Xue, president and CEO of GE Healthcare MR. “AIR Recon DL benefits clinicians, technologists and patients alike. As we transition to a post-COVID world, MR providers face a significant backlog of patient exams. AIR Recon DL can not only help providers scan more patients per day, but also allows more time to disinfect equipment between patients.” Partners in the development and clinical validation of AIR Recon DL included Hospital for Special Surgery, University of California San Francisco, RadNet, University of Wisconsin-Madison, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Centre Cardiologique du Nord in France, Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, Centro Cardiologico Monzino in Italy, University of Yamanashi and Keio University in Japan, and Asan Medical Center and Haeundae Paik Hospital in Korea. AIR Recon DL was developed on GE Healthcare’s Edison intelligence platform, which helps GE and strategic partners design, develop, manage, secure and distribute advanced applications and AI algorithms quickly. AIR Recon DL is available as an upgrade or with new system purchases. It is currently available on GE Healthcare’s 3.0T MR systems. •

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FDA APPROVES ASPENSTATE’S AIRTOUCH PORTABLE X-RAY SYSTEM FOR HUMAN MEDICAL USE Aspenstate has received clearance for their portable X-ray system, AiRTouch, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Amongst many applications, this device is a simple and efficient front-line tool to acquire chest X-rays to diagnose COVID-19. The AiRTouch device offers a unique list of capabilities in the battle against COVID-19. It’s lightweight, handheld design and high-performance battery allows screening centers to process high volumes of patients quickly. Unlike other portable X-ray systems, AiRTouch can acquire images directly to the device and wirelessly transmit to PACS via the built-in workstation. As a result, the device’s portability has been beneficial for drive-through screening centers in South Korea. David Lee, vice president and COO of Aspenstate, notes, “Our clients have noticed a dramatic increase in capacity and

NINES RECEIVES FDA APPROVAL ENABLING DEMOCRATIZED ACCESS TO AI-ENABLED RADIOLOGY Nines has announced the NinesAI medical device making world-class artificial intelligence available to the rapidly growing telehealth industry. NinesAI is FDA-cleared and supports the automated radiological review of CT head images for the possible presence of two time-critical, life-threatening indications – intracranial hemorrhage and mass effect – to aid radiologists in triaging cases. Nines is the first company to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for artificial intelligence technology that triages mass effect conditions, and to its knowledge is the first company to receive simultaneous FDA clearance on multiple indications. • For more information, visit nines.com.

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the ability to move patients through quickly and efficiently. They find that the device is very simple to use, and the integrated software and portable features allow them to work outside of the limitations of traditional X-ray solutions.” AiRTouch was developed by Aspenstate parent company, Livermoretech Korea. This revolutionary device comes equipped with an all-in-one PC that loads the customer’s acquisition software. The high-performance battery charges within two hours and can capture up to 300 exposures on a single charge. The built-in PC also allows for remote diagnostics and service, which maximizes the up time of the equipment and negates costly and timely service calls. Other applications for this device include imaging for urgent care, ambulances, sports medicine, extremities, dental, veterinary and equine purposes. •

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PHILIPS PROVIDES GENTLER APPROACH TO IMAGING CHILDREN Royal Philips recently announced the ultimate ultrasound solution for pediatric assessment, the latest addition for its Philips Ultrasound System (EPIQ Elite). The new ultrasound solution provides clinicians with exceptionally detailed images and the performance they need to make a definitive diagnosis for pediatric patients, reducing the need for additional diagnostic imaging steps, such as X-ray imaging. The new ultrasound solution from Philips is designed specifically for pediatric clinical use. It combines dedicated transducers, enhanced processing and software tools that are optimized for the pediatric diagnostic workflow to help improve the experience of both young patients and staff. Children are more radiosensitive than adults, and efforts should be made to minimize risk by reducing unnecessary exposure to radiation. So, a more gentle form of medical imaging is recommended when there is a clear indication for use. “The new pediatric assessment solution on the EPIQ Elite system has elevated our ultrasound practice at Phoenix Children’s,” said Dr. Luis Goncalves, pediatric radiologist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. “In particular, the solution’s new transducer offers exceptional clinical performance and versatility across many pediatric applications. For example, the intracranial detail we see in the

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neonatal head is truly exceptional.” Pediatric patients come in all shapes and sizes. From the tiniest premature newborn baby to adult-sized pediatric patients, Philips offers a complete imaging solution to elevate diagnostic confidence in even the most challenging cases. The Philips ultimate ultrasound solution for pediatric assessment includes a new pediatric transducer, offering a 30% greater penetration for more detailed images, and has a tailored pediatric workflow to help clinicians diagnose pediatric patients more quickly. “Diagnostic confidence is vital for any clinician, especially when diagnosing the most sensitive patients,” said Jeff Cohen, Vice President, and General Manager General Imaging Ultrasound at Philips. “Philips ultimate ultrasound solutions provide the right level of image detail and context that clinicians need to make a precise diagnosis.” The Philips ultimate ultrasound solution for pediatric assessment is cleared for pediatric clinical use. It extends Philips’ portfolio of dedicated solutions on the Philips Ultrasound System (EPIQ Elite) tailored to the needs of particular medical specialties. Ultrasound solutions for clinical use from Philips are available for the assessment of small parts, liver, vascular, breast and now pediatrics. •

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Hospitals and institutions are regularly using imaging Knowledge. Experience. Integrity. as a frontline tool for triaging patients, and disinfection < / ŚĞůƉƐ ǇŽƵ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌ DZ/ ĂŶĚ d /ŵĂŐŝŶŐ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ƚŽ ǇŽƵƌ ƉĂƚŝĞŶƚƐ͘ tŝƚŚ ŽƵƌ ƚĞĂŵ ŽĨ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶǀĞŶƚŽƌǇ ƐƉĞĐŝĂůŝƐƚƐ͕ < / ŝƐ ǇŽƵƌ WŚŝůŝƉƐ ƌĞƐŽƵƌĐĞ after use can be time consuming when every second ĨŽƌ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ƉĂƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĨŝĞůĚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ͘ < / ƌĞĂĐŚĞƐ ĞǀĞƌǇ ƚŝŵĞ ǌŽŶĞ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬƐ ƚŽ ŵŝŶŝŵŝǌĞ ĚŽǁŶ ƚŝŵĞ ĂŶĚ ĐŽƐƚůǇ ĚŝƐƌƵƉƚŝŽŶƐ ƚŽ ǇŽƵƌ ǁŽƌŬĨůŽǁ͘ WĂƌƚŶĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ < /͕ ĐĂůů ƚŽĚĂǇ͘ counts. To meet the need for fast decontamination, keimedicalimaging.com Canon Medical Systems USA Inc. has partnered with Tel: 512.477.1500 Email: info@keimedicalimaging.com We provide technical support, part/tube Surfacide to offer Helios – a rapid decontamination Member of IAMERs installation, and on-demand service tool for its imaging equipment. The Surfacide Helios system provides an automated to support our service customers. UV-C decontamination technology that significantly We are NOT a service company. reduces bacteria, spores and viruses and is effective against a variety of advanced viral infectious diseases. < / ŚĞůƉƐ ǇŽƵ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌ DZ/ ĂŶĚ d /ŵĂŐŝŶŐ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ƚŽ ǇŽƵƌ ƉĂƚŝĞŶƚƐ͘ Helios incorporates multiple automated UV-C emitters tŝƚŚ ŽƵƌ ƚĞĂŵ ŽĨ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶǀĞŶƚŽƌǇ ƐƉĞĐŝĂůŝƐƚƐ͕ < / ŝƐ ǇŽƵƌ WŚŝůŝƉƐ ƌĞƐŽ that work together to provide decontamination of the ĨŽƌ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ƉĂƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĨŝĞůĚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ͘ < / ƌĞĂĐŚĞƐ ĞǀĞƌǇ ƚŝŵĞ ǌŽŶĞ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬƐ ƚŽ ŵŝŶŝŵ room in minutes to help improve workflow. ĚŽǁŶ ƚŝŵĞ ĂŶĚ ĐŽƐƚůǇ ĚŝƐƌƵƉƚŝŽŶƐ ƚŽ ǇŽƵƌ ǁŽƌŬĨůŽǁ͘ WĂƌƚŶĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ < /͕ ĐĂůů ƚŽĚĂǇ “At Canon Medical, our priority is to support our customers and their patients by providing them not SOLUTIONS only with innovative imaging systems, but also the Tel: 512.477.1500 Email: info@keimedicalimaging.com latest technology advancements that can impact their outcomes and workflow,” said Satrajit Misra, vice presMember of IAMERs ident, marketing and strategic development, Canon PARTS | TRAINING | EQUIPMENT Medical Systems USA Inc. “In the current health care TECHNICAL & SERVICE SUPPORT climate, partnering with Surfacide to offer a solution that can quickly, easily and effectively decontaminate an imaging system can help hospitals and institutions Call: 855.401.4888 | Visit: triimaging.com manage their high throughput and keep patients safe Email: sales@triimaging.com by helping to prevent the spread of infection.” • Located in Nashville, TN | ISO 13485:2016 certified

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MITA URGES CMS TO ‘DOUBLE DOWN’ ON STRENGTHENING ACCESS TO MEDICAL IMAGING FOLLOWING PEAK COVID-19 The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) recently sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) outlining a series of recommendations the agency should take to ensure continued access to essential medical imaging services both during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. “As patients rightfully take steps to reduce viral transmission of COVID-19 and avoid our health care infrastructure unless vitally necessary, we must keep an eye on the long-term implications for our health care system,” said Patrick Hope, executive director of MITA. “The majority of available data suggests patients are not getting the imaging exams they need to properly diagnose and address a host of medical ailments. It is of timely importance

that lawmakers and regulatory officials implement policies that address the current crisis and mitigate future public health consequences arising from the pandemic.” The letter comes as recent data indicates that medical imaging procedures have dropped 50 percent or more. While this utilization reduction has put enormous, and in some cases, untenable financial strain on imaging providers across the nation, more importantly it indicates that countless patients are not getting imaging services when they need them. Noting these developments, the letter underscored the need for policies supportive of infection control measures, the reduction of burdensome prior authorization requirements, and communication initia-

tives to ensure patients understand the importance of rescheduling their missed exams. The letter also urged CMS to postpone or suspend payment cuts and additional previously-approved administrative actions that would compound the effects of the pandemic. “We applaud the preliminary actions undertaken by CMS and the Administration to guide health care providers to deliver care both in-person and through telepresence,” Hope noted. “We believe our recommendations will strengthen our health care infrastructure as it gets back on its feet in the months ahead. These policies will help to ensure appropriate payment and incentivize a more normal experience for Medicare beneficiaries and providers.” •

AHRA ANNOUNCES ELECTION RESULTS AHRA has announced the newest members of its board of directors. They include 2020-2021 President-Elect Kimlyn Queen-Weis, CRA, FAHRA. She is the director of operations at OhioHealth in Dublin, Ohio. Queen-Weis joined AHRA in 2004, earned her CRA in 2004, and achieved Fellow status in 2012. She served on the Radiology Management Editorial Review board and has been an author for Radiology Management, Asset Management in Radiology, and Communication and Information Management in Radiology. She served as editor for Asset Management in Radiology, 2nd edition. Prior to being elected to the AHRA Board in 2016, she served on the RACC as both chair and vice chair. The 2020-2021 Directors are Lori Ann Burns, FAHRA; Brian Fox, CRA; Jason Scott, CRA, FAHRA; and

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Cindy Winter, CRA, FAHRA. In addition to these newly elected board members, the following individuals will serve on the 2020-2021 AHRA Board of Directors: • President – Jaqcui Rose, CRA, FAHRA • Past President – Chris Tomlinson, CRA, FAHRA • Finance Director – Mario Pistilli, CRA, FAHRA • Becky Allen, CRA, FAHRA • Brenda DeBastiani, CRA, FAHRA • Paul Dubiel, CRA, FAHRA • Gina Greenwood, CRA, FAHRA • Rick Perez, CRA, FAHRA The 2020-2021 AHRA Board of Directors will be formally installed during the Virtual 2020 Annual Meeting. •

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RSNA ANNOUNCES VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) announced that its 106th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, previously scheduled to be held Nov. 29-Dec. 4, 2020, at McCormick Place in Chicago, will be held as an all-virtual event Nov. 29-Dec. 5. “As RSNA holds the world’s largest radiology meeting with over 50,000 attendees from 137 countries, our ability to conduct RSNA 2020 in Chicago is impacted by global public health considerations,” said RSNA President James P. Borgstede, M.D. “With a mission that focuses on health and patient care, the primary consideration for RSNA is the health and safety of attendees, presenters, exhibitors, staff, and by extension, the global community. Therefore, we concluded it would be impossible to safely conduct RSNA 2020 in person and have decided to hold RSNA 2020: Human Insight/Visionary Medicine as an exclusively virtual event. While we are disappointed we could not safely meet in Chicago this year, we continue to stand proudly in partnership with the many physicians, health care professionals, researchers and companies doing their part to stop the pandemic and preserve public health, and we look forward to a successful virtual program.” As a virtual event, RSNA 2020 promises to deliver an outstanding program for radiology professionals from around the world. RSNA will be enhancing its already successful virtual meeting to offer a rewarding experience for attendees, presenters and exhibitors. With more than

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11,000 scientific and educational abstract submissions, the radiology community is looking to RSNA as its anchor for learning and sharing science and education this year, despite the pandemic. “We proudly recognize that our attendees rely on the RSNA annual meeting as a source for the latest research, premier professional education and cutting-edge radiologic innovation,” Dr. Borgstede said. “Connecting medical imaging professionals from around the world is more important than ever during this time, and RSNA is doing this in the best and safest way possible.” The RSNA 2020 Virtual Meeting will ensure the opportunity for participation for all of those who have been impacted by institutional, corporate or national travel restrictions. “Fortunately, RSNA 2020 is still several months away, which will allow us the opportunity to prepare a robust virtual experience for our attendees and exhibitors,” said RSNA Executive Director Mark G. Watson. Since the inception of the RSNA annual meeting more than a century ago, the society has canceled the physical meeting only twice before – in 1943 and in 1945 – due to transportation and gasoline supply issues during and immediately following World War II. Registration for RSNA 2020 opens July 22 and will be free to members. •

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Market Report Reports Forecast Radiology Safety Market Growth

he global radiation detection, monitoring and safety market accounted for $890.2 million in 2015 and is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 7.3% in the coming years, according to a report from Grand View Research. The rising adoption of nuclear medicine and radiation therapy as a consequence of the increasing global incidence of cancer is expected to drive market growth over the forecast period. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) around 14.1 million new cancer cases were registered and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths were reported worldwide, in the year 2012; it is estimated that in the near future the numbers are to rise to 21.7 million new cancer cases and 13 million cancer-related deaths. The global increase in the estimates is expected to increase the demand for radiation therapy for cancer diagnosis during the forecast period. “The medical and health care industry accounted for the highest share, owing to increasing use of dosimeters and detectors in radiology, emergency care, dentistry, nuclear medicine and therapy applications,” report from 360 Market Updates states. “These are particularly required in medical procedures, such as angiography, fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT), and radiographic imaging, which employ harmful ionizing radioactive rays to perform clinical diagnosis and monitoring. Besides, a rise in the number of nuclear power facilities across the world is resulting in an increased demand for radiation monitoring equipment. The by-products of these power plants can be used in the health care industry. Incidentally, hospitals have been promoting installation of diagnostic radiology equipment, accompanied using medical isotopes that are administered to patients.” “Moreover, increasing investments in cancer therapy by the countries where the number of diagnosed patients is grow26

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ing, is further expected to increase the demand for radiation therapy and medical devices,” it adds. Mordor Intelligence also predicts market growth. “The medical and health care industry accounts for the highest market share, owing to the increasing use of dosimeters and detectors in radiology, emergency care, dentistry, nuclear medicine and therapy applications. Various forms of radiation are used in medical diagnostics and treatment. All forms are potentially dangerous, and exposure must be carefully controlled to ensure that the benefit to patients outweighs the risks from exposure,” Mordor Intelligence states. “Radiation (radioisotope) therapy remains one of the main approaches to fight cancer,” the report adds. “To reduce the negative impact of radiation on the personnel of health care facilities, the market vendors are offering personal dosimeters and automated systems of personal dosimetry control. Moreover, with the increasing cancer cases across the globe, the market is expected to witness growth.” “Radioactive radiations are an unseen threat in many settings,” Transparency Market Research (TMR) reports. “Exposure to these in high level can induce several dangerous health complications. As radiations are invisible and odorless, those who work with radioactive materials require special equipment that can detect, monitor and prevent direct exposure to harmful radioactive radiations to help warrant their safety and the safety of all those who are around them.” “Increased use of radioactive materials across areas such as diverse industrial processes, power production, medical research, medical imaging and the defense sector coupled with the heightened global threat of terrorist-operated nuclear weapons has intensified the need for reliable equipment that offers protection from radioactive radiations,” TMR adds. “The global market for radiation detection, monitoring and safety has expanded significantly in the past few years in terms of introduction of technologically advanced equipment as well as the adoption of this equipment in different end-use sectors.” • ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

Product Focus Radiology

SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS CARE+CLEAR

The CARE+CLEAR portfolio of dose-saving and image quality tools, available standard with every Artis angiography system from Siemens Healthineers, enables health care facilities to decide the necessary image quality and then determine the lowest possible radiation dose to the patient and clinical staff. For example, the CAREposition tool reduces dose by omitting fluoroscopy during patient repositioning. CAREvision permits variable fluoroscopic pulse rates ranging from 30 p/s to just 0.5 p/s, which can reduce patient and staff radiation exposure considerably. And CAREfilter enables adjustment of the filter size to achieve as much as a 50 percent reduction in entrance dose. In addition to minimizing patient and operator dose, CARE+CLEAR tools provide dose monitoring during the angiography procedure in addition to facilitating simple, structured dose reporting and documentation.

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MRIEQUIP

FerrAlert HALO II Plus Ferromagnetic Detection System FerrAlert is a ferromagnetic detector designed to protect any MRI suite. FerrAlertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading-edge technology provides the most reliable detection and prevention of ferromagnetic threats from entering the MRI room (Zone IV). FerrAlert detectors are recognized as accurate ferromagnetic detectors for MRI, because of its exclusive location-specific feature. The new plus package dramatically reduces alarm fatigue by not alarming on the MRI door and ferromagnetic objects exiting the MRI room. Also, FerrAlert HALO II Plus accepts the new FerrAlert Encompass accessory.

ASRT FOUNDATION AND CANON MEDICAL Safety FiRsT Grant Program

The ASRT Foundation and Canon Medical Systems USA Inc. are accepting applications for the 2020 Safety FiRsT grant program, an initiative that provides funds for radiologic technologists to improve workplace safety measures. The Safety FiRsT program awards two ASRT members a workplace grant of up to $7,000 each for the implementation of a safety program or creative idea aimed at improving technologist safety. The winning facilities will then implement the program and share best practices. Eligible facilities are encouraged to apply by completing an application at tinyurl.com/SafetyFirst2020. The deadline to apply is July 31, 2020. 28

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GE HEALTHCARE

AI-Based Auto Positioning for CT Amid today’s global COVID-19 pandemic, health care systems require new tools to expedite patient throughput and help minimize exposure between radiology staff and potential COVID-19 patients. GE Healthcare’s AI-based Auto Positioning is designed to do just that – enabling technologists to position patients in the CT gantry with just one click. Not only does this hands-free positioning experience help reduce the risk of exposure and expedite exams – an important factor given the significant role CT is playing in monitoring COVID-19 symptoms and complications. Auto Positioning is available on GE Healthcare’s Revolution Maxima CT system.

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452 Radiation Survey Meter

The RaySafe 452 Radiation Survey Meter measures ionizing radiation in a wide variety of applications such as finding spilled isotopes, measuring scattered radiation from X-ray machines, and linear accelerators. With this meter, users can spend more time on measurements and less time on settings. Just turn on the instrument and within a few seconds you are ready to measure. The RaySafe 452 does not require any corrections or manual settings, letting you focus on radiation protection rather than set-up. Easily transfer data for further analysis and data storage with the PC software RaySafe View which is included with the meter. The intuitive interface shows all parameters in one view, and all measurement data is stored automatically.

Leaded acrylic is an excellent option for your radiation shielding needs. The shatter-resistant and versatile transparent plastic contains 30% lead by weight, combining superb light transmission with effective radiation protection. Leaded acrylic can be used in a variety of applications; including X-ray rooms, control booths, laboratories and more. Leaded acrylic creates an open feel environment, while at the same time reducing exposure to radiation. Unlike lead glass, it is less reflective and is easier to ship. MarShield carriers a variety of sizes and thicknesses of leaded acrylic and accepts custom orders. ICEMAGAZINE

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e s a C e h t g Makin g n i k a M r o f

: E D A R G THE +

r o f s r e t t a M A R Why the C ip h s r e d a e L y g o l io Rad BY MAT T SKOUFALOS

ike many other health care specialties, credentialing in the medical imaging field is an indication of technical proficiency, professional expertise and the persistence required to complete a vetted process. Yet among imaging leadership, one such credential – the Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA), issued by the Radiology Administration Certification Commission (RACC) – remains off the radar of many professionals. The CRA exam tests the knowledge and expertise of prospective credential holders in five categories: human resource management, asset resource management, fiscal management, operations management and communication and information management. David Partridge, CRA, FAHRA, an account executive for Prestige Medical Imaging of Newburgh, New York is a

ICEMAGAZINE | JULY 2020

“Currently, 1,221 people hold the [CRA] certification. Eleven years after I got passing my [CRA] test, it the opportunity to take st again as a part of the te review; I believe the test aking does a really nice job m t sure that you have curren knowledge.” HRA FA - David Partridge , CRA,

commissioner on the RACC. The commission oversees development of the exam through which prospective CRAs are credentialed. Even after administrators pass the CRA exam,

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they must complete 36 continuing education units (CEUs) in those five domains every three years to demonstrate their continued proficiency in the subject matter, or else re-test. Prior to sitting for the test, prospective CRAs must accumulate seven points of eligibility reflecting their experiences, education and credentials. Points are awarded for years of “management, supervisory, or administrative experience in radiology or medical imaging” across the five domains, and levels of education attained, from certificates to doctorates. One additional point may be added for any existing, imaging-related credential the prospective CRA already holds from a nationally recognized credentialing authority. Partridge, who has held his CRA since 2006, works with the other members of the commission to review the 185-question test to ensure that the topics are still valid and relevant to the current practice environment for administrators. The test was created four years before Partridge earned his certification. Originally, those seeking the certificate would have had to compile information from “somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 to 40 reference materials,” Partridge said. AHRA now offers prospective CRAs one book on each of the domains involved in the test. “AHRA has condensed the knowledge base within those five books and has done a nice job keeping them up to date,” he said. “With the rules changing for government reimbursement, HR policies, and so many other leadership responsibilities, making sure we keep the test up to date as a valid assessment of knowledge is important.” When it is time to update the questions, the RACC works together with a team of other CRAs to make sure the questions are relevant and valid. They work with the educational

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testing company Scantron, which administers the exam, as well as “making sure we don’t have too many questions that are too similar, and that they’re statistically valid,” Partridge said. The CRA exam was most recently reviewed in 2016, and the exam review committee also overhauled all the online practice tests in 2019, Partridge said. Scantron maintains a question bank that provides the basis for their reviews, and the committee updates related questions on the test whenever AHRA updates one of its five core textbooks. Partridge may spend five to eight hours a month on work for the RACC when the voluntary commission is not actively developing a new test, and much more when the answers need revision. In all, the rewriting process takes a significant amount of time, and question writing is supplemented by as many as 15 people not on the commission, Partridge said. Sitting for the exam takes as many as four hours; of the 185 listed questions, 150 count toward the applicants’ scores, and 35 are experimental questions that do not. Prospective CRAs visit one of 1,350 Scantron locations to complete a web-based assessment in a proctored environment. AHRA members pay $325 plus $100 for application verification; non-members pay $600. Normally, the exam is offered twice a year, in May and November. In 2020, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic stretched the May date into June, but most people have deferred their tests to November 2020, Partridge said. “Normally, somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 people take it per year,” he said. “Currently, 1,221 people hold the certification. Eleven years after passing my [CRA] test, I got the opportunity to take it again as a part of the test review; I believe the test does a really nice job making sure that you have current knowledge.” Before switching to his current sales role, Partridge worked in imaging administration for 15 years. He still leans on his CRA when connecting with new clients, and said the certificate helps build trust and rapport. “It gives them a different angle that I’ve been in their position,” Partridge said; “that I understand the challenges they’re going through in getting equipment or building a site.” Although he no longer works in imaging administration, Partridge said he advocates for professionals to pursue a CRA because it helps advance their prominence in the health care workspace.

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“I think that it allows for more respect among all of your peers, not just in radiology,” Partridge said. “When you’re working with your leadership team throughout the hospital and you can say, ‘As an imaging administrator, I passed this certification’ and a little more trust is built within your team and peers.” A CRA can also prove to prospective employers “that you’re the right candidate for a position,” he said. “As we continue to ask our techs to be certified in different imaging modalities as opposed to being trained on the job, it’s the registration for our administrators.” However, having a CRA does not necessarily mean a bump in pay or responsibilities in the workplace, even as more hospitals list “CRA preferred” or “CRA required” job descriptions for radiology administrators. “One of the big efforts for our commission is seeing the benefits of the certification,” Partridge said. “The big piece is the recognition of the understanding that you’ve tested and proven that you have the knowledge to do the job. “People face different challenges every day, and they can vary by where you’re at in the country and type of facility you are working at,” he said. “Once you move into administration, you’re making more changes in the lives of your staff. The ability to see staff enjoy coming to work is why I enjoyed administration.” Sandra Phillips, director of radiology at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, said the CRA “lets people know that you’re competent and well rounded” in a hospital environment. At the administrator level, expertise in clinical operations and technical proficiency with imaging equipment must be supplemented by facility in human resources, fiscal operations, communications and staffing needs. Even those who boast a strong imaging background may not have had the opportunity to develop competency in those specific skills that are demanded by a leadership role, she said. “I definitely think in any type of world, your assets and people are definitely important,” Phillips said, “and you have to be in the role to understand what you’re doing.” Phillips, a RACC member like Partridge, believes the CRA certificate also demonstrates pride in being a radiology director to hospital leadership. Even though the superiors who interviewed her for her current director position weren’t familiar with the credential, they were impressed when she explained what the CRA entailed to them during the process. “If people want to promote themselves or become a director, a CRA really is eye-catching,” Phillips said. “I think it helped me obtain my position, honestly. You know if people become a CRA, they had that experience and knowledge, as well that they are invested in what they do, and they take pride in being a radiology manager.

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“A lot of organizations have really looked at some basic education requirements fo r people moving into leader ship positions, even including lead techs and supervisors , and the CRA credential is really a validation of overal l leadership.”

- Curt BUsh

“[When I see it], I know that person understands what it takes to pass this test, and that they have the knowledge, skills, experience and education,” she said. Phillips said AHRA is doing everything it can to raise the visibility of the CRA among human resources decision-makers, recommending to HR departments across the country to include it in job descriptions, and to seek it out in applicants’ resumes. “A couple years ago, you really didn’t see the CRA credential listed as a recommended qualification on job sites; now you see it’s more consistently listed on things like Indeed.com,” she said. She’s also seeking to cultivate potential CRAs from within her staff by issuing challenge coins to inspire them to pursue the credential. Once they earn their CRAs, she asks them to “pay it forward” and challenge another colleague to do the same. Currently, two of her staff members are preparing for the exam. “I give the coin to people and I say, ‘I want you to make this a goal. I think you’re ready for this; you should practice and take this test,’ ” Phillips said. “I found that my staff at my new position had never really heard of it, and they weren’t AHRA members. The first thing I did was sign them all up.” “You find out you have these leaders that have never been given an opportunity to grow,” she said; “there’s no real radiology school for leaders.” Curt Bush, vice president of the Houston market for the Houston, Texas-based Touchstone Imaging, agreed that although he’s held a CRA since 2012, there’s not many positions for which he’s applied or been hired that mentioned it as a preferred credential. Like Phillips, he’s made it a goal for his imaging leadership team to earn their CRAs as a demon-

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stration of their practical aptitude for their roles. “I don’t want to have to teach you these things that you should already know if you’re in this position,” Bush said. “It’s easier to focus on what the real-world needs are, and also what their strengths are [once they have it].” Many institutions reimburse or offer bonuses to employees who pass advanced certification exams, and Bush thinks they could regard the CRA similarly. For one, the availability of relevant electronic study guides makes the materials more easily and affordably acquired. He also believes that employers could make attainment of a CRA a condition of continued employment to further drive administrators to pursue it. Until such time as it’s more widely recognized or incentivized, however, the value of a CRA “depends on who you are,” Bush said. “[The] Magnet [Recognition Program] has given nursing a tremendous amount of power; every type of specialized nurse now has a certification for it,” he said. “The CRA is another feather to place in a hat to have the allied health areas keep up with nursing foundations that they’ve set nationally. “A lot of organizations have really looked at some basic education requirements for people moving into leadership positions, even including lead techs and supervisors, and the CRA credential is really a validation of overall leadership,” Bush said. Although he already had a significant amount of experience and other credentials, including a master’s degree, prior to taking the CRA, Bush said he took the test “to validate that I knew what I was doing,” and to give him a leg up in applying for larger-scale operations given a resume that was heavy on experience in small, community hospital environments. Like Partridge and Phillips, Bush also serves on the RACC, and he believes that broader adoption of the CRA as a credentialing standard for radiology administrators can happen if hospital leaders get involved and have strong enough imaging leadership “to really work with human resources” and raise the overall profile of the credential. With fewer than 6,000 AHRA members and only about 20 percent of those CRA holders, he estimates that “probably only 25 or 30 percent of the total imaging administrators in the country” are CRA-certified. “I would have never heard of it if I hadn’t been a part of AHRA, and there’s a lot of people in AHRA who weren’t overwhelmingly familiar with it,” Bush said. “There’s people in other imaging associations that have no idea what it is. It kind of just depends on the circle you’re hanging with.” “If you really believe it’s important, and can work with HR and go to bat for your people, there’s a lot of things that can be accomplished with it,” he said. •

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GET CREDIT FOR YOUR DUPLEX A CODING/BILLING BY MELODY W. MULAIK

duplex scan is a type of To ensure correct billing and avoid ultrasound exam designed problems in the event of a payer audit, the to evaluate the pattern and radiologist should document the specific direction of blood flow in arterexam protocol. Clinical Examples in Radioloies and/or veins. A duplex scan gy (Spring 2012) states: includes both conventional ultra“At the very minimum, the technique part sound (B-mode) and two different of the report should state that ‘A duplex types of Doppler ultrasound – Doppler study was performed.’ Ideally, it spectral Doppler and color Doppler. should state, for example, ‘A duplex DopEnsuring there is both performance pler study was performed, consisting of and documentation integrated two-dimensional of these elements is (2D) real-time imaging color critical to appropriate flow Doppler and Doppler claim submission and spectral analysis utilizing “At the very reimbursement. 5.0 MHz and 7.0 MHz linear

minimum, the technique part of the report should state that ‘A duplex Doppler study was performed.’”

Spectral Doppler imaging provides a graphic display of Doppler data which are jagged vertical lines called waveforms. If spectral Doppler was performed, the report will usually include a mention of waveforms or resistive index (RI). Color Doppler imaging provides a color image of the vessel superimposed on a B-mode ultrasound image. The B-mode (grayscale) image shows the vessel structure and the color shows the velocity and direction of flow. Both spectral and color flow Doppler must be performed in order to report a duplex code. The CPT® manual states that a duplex scan involves the production of “real-time images integrating B-mode two-dimensional vascular structure, Doppler spectral analysis, and color flow Doppler imaging.” 36

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array probes.’ The body of the report should optimally describe that normal flow, compressibility, and augmentation were demonstrated on Doppler spectral analysis.” If the physician specifically states that a duplex study was performed, this implies performance of B-mode 2D, color Doppler and spectral Doppler. If the physician does not document that a duplex study was performed, then both color and spectral Doppler must be specifically documented. Documentation of color Doppler without documentation of spectral Doppler is not sufficient to support the assignment of a duplex code. (See Clinical Examples in Radiology, Summer 2012 & Winter 2015). A duplex study can be reported together with a nonvascular ultrasound study of the same anatomic area – for example, 93975 with 76700 – when both services are ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

performed and documented. (See CPT® Assistant, March 2015). According to Clinical Examples in Radiology (Summer 2012), performance of the duplex study falls under the “test design” exception to the Medicare ordering rules and therefore does not require an order from the treating physician. However, all payers may not agree with this interpretation, so it is important to review payer policy. Imaging facilities should not routinely add duplex to every ultrasound exam. If there is not an order for the duplex, there must be “a detailed explanation by the radiologist in his or her report as to why the Doppler was medically necessary.” (See Clinical Examples in Radiology, Winter 2013). When ultrasound and duplex are performed together, both studies must be medically necessary, and both must meet the requirements for the CPT® code in terms of technique and structures visualized. The radiologist should dictate separate reports for the two studies or – at a mini-

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mum – describe the studies under separate headings in the same report. The Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) edits bundle many nonvascular ultrasound codes into the duplex study code for the same anatomic area. Modifier 59 or modifier XU may be applied to the nonvascular ultrasound code when a complete, separate, medically necessary study is documented. For example, a physician orders a complete abdominal ultrasound and a complete duplex scan of the hepatic and portal vessels for a patient with portal hypertension. Two complete exams are performed, and the radiologist dictates two separate interpretations. Report code 93975 for the complete duplex exam of the liver and 76700-59 for the complete abdominal ultrasound. • MELODY W. MULAIK, MSHS, CRA, RCC, RCC-IR, CPC, COC, FAHRA, is the president of Revenue Cycle and Coding Strategies Inc.

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I HAVE A MEETING W DEPARTMENT/ OPERATIONAL ISSUES BY JEF WILLIAMS

hen you look at your calendar what do you see? If you are like me, or the people I work with, it’s filled with blocks. These blocks tend to populate vertically throughout the day and populate across your week. We are an industry that requires meetings. Lots of meetings. For many, just looking to add a meeting is not unlike a game of Tetris, wedging items in where they can fit. This can be especially difficult when attempting to coordinate with other busy people. Meetings are an important way to conduct our business, but too often we fall into patterns of ineffective meeting management. This leads to loss in productivity as well as a general sense of helplessness as we try to balance our meeting schedule with getting “actual work done,” as I have often heard it posed. My business is reliant upon effective meetings – as is yours. Working with providers of all shapes and sizes across North America, I have discovered many similarities to how meetings are managed – effectively or ineffectively. To streamline meetings, there are a number of best practices our organization has employed. Some of these best practices we learned from meeting management experts while many came from clients who have developed best practices. Other came from our own trial and error. If there is anything I have learned, it is that meetings are not going away. However, implementing structure can have a huge positive impact on the value of each meeting and this translates into greater effectiveness organizationally as well as culturally. Here are some questions worth asking and processes worth exploring when addressing meeting management.

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WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING?

There are many different purposes for meetings. One of the most important questions you can ask yourself when scheduling a meeting is, “What is the purpose of this meeting?” Some meetings are informational, others are designed to create alignment and seek to reach a decision. I find that meetings that have not been carefully structured with a clear definition of its purpose leads to participants who are disengaged. This is simply because there is a clear lack of definition related to the meeting itself. Informational meetings can be important as a tool to engage attendees. The first question to ask for each informational meeting is whether it needs to be a meeting at all. Many meetings can be replaced with well-crafted emails or other forms of communication. So, the question we should ask is, “Does everyone need to be in the room for this?” Meetings can be an effective way to create alignment within an organization. Within health care we have many different silos of teams often working without good visibility to the efforts and goals of other teams within the organization. Effectively using real-time discussions can be the best way to understand differences or differing strategies within the organization and real-time communication can be a way to talk through conflict or efforts that appear to be working at cross purposes. This type of communication has historically been most effective in face-to-face meetings. In the new normal, where many of our meetings have been moved to virtual online meetings, this has become a bit more difficult. Some important things to consider with alignment meetings is a carefully defined attendee list, as well as an intentional approach to include everyone in the conversation. It is not uncommon for alignment meetings to be driven by one ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

ture. An agenda should be provided ahead of every meeting to allow for review and comment. This improves overall engagement and participation.

HOW ARE WE DOCUMENTING THE CONTENT OF THIS MEETING?

or two prominent voices who feel very comfortable sharing opinions or leading discussions. The most effective alignment meetings, however, are facilitated by leaders who bring out the ideas and thoughts of all participants. Finally, there are meetings that are designed to reach specific outcomes and promote decision-making. The best way to ensure that a meeting achieves its outcome, especially as it relates to decision-making, is to ensure that all the participants have received all the information necessary to make said decision prior to the meeting. All too often, decision-making meetings are pursued without sharing all the requisite information prior to the real-time event. This leaves people feeling less than prepared or less informed to make an important decision. When scheduling a meeting of this type, it can help to create a list of relevant documents or information to ensure everyone arrives prepared for discussion, debate and decision-making.

WHO NEEDS TO ATTEND THIS MEETING? How do we decide who we invite to a meeting? It can be politically driven. It can be to ensure there is adequate representation from all the stakeholders. In some cases, it is simply an invitation list that has been populated over time. It is easy to fall into a pattern of sending out invitation lists to meetings which contribute to the overall meeting fatigue many people have. People WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM

tend to participate in meetings they are invited to even when they do not have immediate interest or contribute value to the outcome of that specific meeting. Just as good leaders delegate work, good leaders delegate associated meetings. Yet, often leaders struggle to pass on delegated meetings â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which runs counterproductive to the work we seek to accomplish. Good delegation requires that we not only assign work, but we empower those people we delegate to lead the process which should include internal conversations and ultimately decision-making within the context of the assignment.

WHAT IS THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING? Good meeting agendas include several components that help serve the facilitator, as well as the participants, in understanding the framework for the meeting as well as its pacing. Most meetings include multiple agenda items and it is important for those who lead effective meetings to clearly define the agenda topics, identify the person who will lead each agenda item and establish a timeframe for each agenda item. People are frustrated when meetings run long, especially when so many attendees are attending back-to-back meetings on any given day. One of the most common reasons for meetings running long is an overly packed agenda or a lack of discipline to budgeting time for each agenda item and keeping to that time struc-

Any meeting worth having is a meeting worth documenting. Our organization has built the role of scribe into every one of our meetings. Good meetings generate good content that needs to be memorialized within the organization or within the project. Good meeting minutes capture the dialogue of the meeting and the spirit of that dialogue. By drafting good meeting minutes, we allow peripheral stakeholders to feel engaged when they cannot attend a meeting (or choose not to attend). The minutes provide access to the content, Action items and decisions are identified in the minutes. This ensures the topics covered have been well documented. This prevents wasting time on these items at future meetings. How do we measure the effectiveness of this meeting? As meetings are the lifeblood of any organization and are ubiquitous in our daily routines, it is easy to fall into patterns of ineffectiveness. Organizations that prioritize effective meeting management build feedback loops into their models. Whether this is formal feedback or simply informal polling of participants, we should continually measure the effectiveness of our meetings. Simple questions such as: Did you feel this was a good use of your time? Did you feel the meeting accomplished its goals? Did you feel that everyone in the room had the ability to participate? Are all good ways of measuring our meetings. Meetings reflect the culture of any organization. Too often they are overlooked as a useful tool to change culture in a positive way. May your next meeting be effective and accomplish its goals as well as the goals of your organization. â&#x20AC;˘ JEF WILLIAMS, MBA, PMP, CIIP, is a managing partner at Paragon Consulting Partners.

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BY SCOTT TREFNY AVANTE

PROPER CLEANING AND DISINFECTION OF ULTRASOUND SYSTEMS AND PROBES

s the medical community continues to cope with this current pandemic situation, the novel coronavirus should have us all laser focused on patient and operator safety. It has become increasingly important to perform proper cleaning, or at least establish a proper cleaning protocol, for ultrasound systems, probes, accessories, surfaces and displays used in contact with patients. The landscape is vast with regards to cleaning solutions, applications, delivery (spray or wipe) and what is approved for use within various facilities. You can most likely walk around your facility and find many brands of cleaning wipes and sprays with varying levels of active ingredients on the label. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website on chemical disinfectants, the list is: Alcohol, Chlorine, Formaldehyde, Glutaraldehyde, Hydrogen Peroxide, Iodophors, OPA, Peracetic Acid, Phenolics and Quaternary Ammonium. In this article, I will reference what most manufacturers show as approved disinfectants and how to use them correctly on each part of an ultrasound system. Please refer to each manufacturer for a more comprehensive list of approved solutions.

GENERAL USE PROBES Most probes are used in a non-invasive manner, meaning they only touch skin surfaces. There are some procedures in which they can be exposed to blood but adhering 40

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to a proper cleaning procedure along with approved disinfectant will decontaminate the probe for future use. It is important to note that most manufacturers provide a list of disinfectant solutions and which solution you can use on the probe housing, cable, and/or connector. Probes should be removed from the system during disinfection to minimize cross contamination. GE recommends an ammonium-based cleaner for probes and probe surfaces. Per the user manual, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Only use sprays or wipes that are alcohol free.â&#x20AC;? Siemens strongly advises against using steam, gas or organic ethanol (EO), benzene and isopropyl alcohol. They offer a handy search menu to find what disinfection solution is approved according to system and probe type, but mainly low-level alcohol or quaternary ammonium-based cleaners are recommended on most units. Philips suggests using a sodium-hypochlorite (bleach at an active solution rate of .6%), quaternary ammonium based (active concentration .8%), hydrogen peroxide (active concentration .5%), and alcohol (not to exceed 70% concentration). They offer an extensive list for download on their website. Pay special attention to what is approved on the cable, probe housing and membrane, and connector housing as these can differ. Samsung recommends quaternary ammonium-based solutions for most probes. They offer an in-depth disinfectant matrix that covers all probes they manufacture. This information can be found on their website or is included in the system and probes user manuals. ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

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SYSTEM SURFACES, DISPLAYS AND ACCESSORY CABLES Manufacturers typically recommend cleaning ultrasound system surfaces as part of daily user maintenance procedures. Although, I would make an educated guess that system surfaces are not cleaned on a regular basis. Given the current situation in the world, now is the perfect time to implement disinfecting procedures for all surfaces. Most manufacturers recommend starting with a mild dishwashing liquid or soap without any abrasives. Plastic coated surfaces require milder cleaners, and facilities that use bleach or alcohol-based products tend to incur cracks and stress fractures around buttons and knobs or edges in which these solutions made the bezel dry and brittle. LCD displays and touchscreens also require special attention as to which cleaners are approved. Usually cleaning with a non-abrasive mild soap or detergent is the approved method, but some manufacturers will suggest using an approved LCD cleaner along with a microfiber cloth. Certain disinfectants will cause damage to touch sensors and anti-glare coatings over time. Always consult the manufacturer’s instructions before disinfection of accessories such as ECG cables, trunk cables, external monitor and data cables.

CONCLUSION Don’t assume. Do the research. Just because a disinfectant is approved for one surface does not mean it is approved for all. Some departments will go to the extreme of having three or four different disinfectants for multiple surfaces, but products are available that are approved for all surfaces. Finding the “unicorn” will simplify your disinfection protocols and save your department money at the same time. Start with recommendations from the equipment manufacturer as they have the most up-to-date list of approved disinfectants that have been tested on their equipment. Then, search out disinfectant suppliers/manufacturers that have performed independent compatibility testing. Once you have determined the proper cleaning solution, establish a disinfecting schedule for all surfaces. • SCOTT TREFNY is an Imaging Service Professional for Avante Health Solutions. For 24/7 Technical Support, call 800-958-9986 or visit

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NEW APPROACHES TO EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION W DIRECTOR’S CUT BY MARIO PISTILLI

e all need a pat on the back every once in a while and to know that we are doing a good job. I am sure most of you try and thank your staff during your rounding. If you are not regularly rounding with your teams, then you need to start. I realize we are all busy and pulled in lots of directions, but being present in work areas is probably the most important meeting you will have in a day. You do not need an agenda and it is not babysitting or a time to catch them out. I don’t use this as a time to see if people are “sitting around” either, you should be doing that by looking at your volumes by shift compared to your staffing trends and not based on isolated incidents. The nature of our work is peaks and valleys, and sometimes we hit in a valley right after the surge or right before. Instead use this time to learn about your staff and their lives, to find commonalities, and connect with them personally. This is also a great time to give positive feedback. I have also tried some other novel ways to recognize staff outside of face-to-face interaction. Following are some ideas: • Be specific on what they did and why it is great. A general, “you’re doing a good job” is nice, but lacks that wow factor. For example, when one of my CT techs stayed over and covered a midnight shift due to a callout, I talked to him the next day. I said, “Hey, I heard you ended up staying over to cover the other night. Thank you

ICEMAGAZINE | JULY 2020

so much, without you we would have a hard time taking care of those kids. I know those families were so thankful you were there. I am sure you must have been dog-tired and looking forward to getting off, but you stayed anyway. I admire how much you care.” This shows that you were informed and also praises specific actions that the person did and why they were so important. • Praise does not have to be because of an individual act it could be prasing someone for their contributions to a group effort. For example, “Hey, seems like last week was super busy around here. I know you were right in the middle of it, thanks for weathering that busy stretch so well. I am really impressed at how you were able to handle it so smoothly.” • Enlist some help. I sometimes drag our chair of radiology or vice-chair with me to thank someone or just to say we appreciated what they did. Also, if in a hallway with a radiologist or the chair or vice-chair and an employee walks past that deserves a recognition, I might engage them for a quick, “Hey, Dr. X. Did you know that Tech X took great care of a patient yesterday and walked them all the way to their next appointment?” • In addition to those touchpoints during rounding, we also have whiteboards for kudos between staff and staff recognition cards that anyone can submit when someone does something great. Now, here are some slightly different ways that I have recognized outstanding work: • Send a handwritten card to their house. For some reason, it seems particularly impactful for an employee to get a ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

handwritten card sent to them. It shows that you really took time out to not only write the card, but to get a stamp and mail it. I never seem to have stamps around anymore and constantly buying them or forgetting to buy them, but it is worth the minor effort. • If given a chance, introduce them to someone else outside of your department. Another director or manager, and tell your colleague what is so impressive about your employee. • If giving a presentation about a particular project or initiative, I often include a slide that shows some of the team members that are making this possible. I ask someone in the audience to use my phone to take a picture of me presenting with that slide up, and then send that to them with a note saying something like, I had a great time today showing off my team to [insert some names here], so proud of you. You have done a great job on this. • Send a note to their spouse or significant other, telling them what a great job the person has done. For WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM

example, “Hi, Mr. X. My name is Mario and I work with [insert name here]. I am sure you know how hard she works and thank you for supporting her and all the sacrifices you and your family make so she can work her magic here at [insert facility name here]. She is really great at [insert achievement or praise] and the patients are so lucky to have her taking care of them. I just wanted you to know that you should be very proud of her.” • Give them a small personal gift that is specific to them instead of the usual coffee card. If you are rounding and interacting with them, you may have learned something about them that can translate to a gift. For example, one of my star employees is a big gamer so I got him a small Nintendo gift card with the thank you card. I am a huge reader so I love to give books as gifts to people on subjects they have expressed interest in. It is not about an amount of money, it is that you listened to them and remembered something about them that makes this meaningful.

• Ask people outside of your department for positive feedback and bring that back. People like to know that their efforts are recognized outside of just your department. For example, “Hi, [insert name here]. I was talking to the ICU manager and they were telling me how you are always so pleasant when you come up to do portables. The nurses and staff just love you. Thanks for being such a great representative of our department. It really shows.” The bottom line is that recognition does not have to be fancy, expensive or overly time consuming. Just make it heartfelt, specific, genuine, personal and part of your culture. I don’t look at it as a task or a to-do. It really gives me joy to see that reaction and pride in my teammates. • MARIO PISTILLI, CRA, MBA, FACHE, FAHRA, is administrative director for imaging and imaging research at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He is an active member and volunteers time for ACHE and HFMA organizations. He is currently serving on the AHRA national Board of Directors. He can be contacted at mpistiili@chla.usc.edu.

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INSIGHTS

EATING THE ELEPHANT

W RAD HR BY KELLY PRAY

ICEMAGAZINE | JULY 2020

e, as leaders, have a lot on our plates. Responsibilities to manage employees, coach and mentor staff, influence strategy, execute on projects and just simply get the job done all tend to pile up on the plate of leadership. When feeling overwhelmed with what’s on the menu for everything I’m hoping to achieve, certain responsibilities stand out as the ‘elephants’ on the plate. These responsibilities are the projects that seem too challenging, too complex or just not as exciting as the rest of it. These responsibilities, or ‘elephants’ may grow or shrink depending on the context and your competing priorities at the time. These elephants could be as large as a technology system upgrade or more ambiguous such as working more effectively with an employee. Regard-

less of the size, these elephants are not going away on their own. So, how can you get something as daunting as an elephant off your plate? One bite at a time.

STEP 1: DECIDE WHERE TO START The first step to eating the elephant is to decide where to start. Which elephant should you tackle first? What are the large buckets of responsibilities that you have, and ultimately what are you trying to achieve? Last month we touched on the Eisenhower matrix, and how to best prioritize what’s on your plate. With this tool, choose to focus on the top left quadrant of “Do.” For those of you that need a reminder, the Eisenhower Decision Matrix helps leaders define what is the most important and urgent of tasks on the plate. Once grounded in the most important elephant of the day, it’s time to break it down into bite-sized pieces. ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

STEP 2: PLAN OUT THE PIECES Elephants represent an overarching goal or strategy that we take on in our day-to-day leadership. Using the examples from above, how do we plan out the pieces of a project as complex as a technology upgrade? One approach to planning out large-scale goals is to set smaller, bitesized goals to get you towards where you want to go. Taoist philosopher Lao-Tzu so aptly said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Take on the technology upgrade, the thousand-mile journey, and identify what a single step could look like. An easy framework to use in setting these bite-sized goals is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely (SMART). • SPECIFIC – Choose something that clearly articulates a step in the right direction. Ask yourself, what exactly do I want to accomplish? What is a step that I can take to get me there? It’s much easier to work toward a specific goal (example: schedule a meeting to have a difficult conversation with an employee) than it is to work toward a vague one (work more effectively with an employee). • MEASURABLE – How am I going to measure success on this goal? Using the example above, scheduling a meeting within the next two weeks to have a difficult conversation with an employee is less daunting than focusing on the elephant that is working more effectively with someone you may have a hard time working with. • ACHIEVABLE – Can this get done within a shot timeframe? Is this a reasonable “bite” for me to take on? Do I have to cut this goal up into smaller pieces? Scheduling a meeting within the next two weeks is most likely a more achievable goal than partnering effectively within the year. • RELEVANT – Does this goal fall under the “Do” category of my WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM

Eisenhower Matrix? That is to say, is this the right time and right priority on my plate right now? Does working effectively with this person in the next two weeks take priority over the other items on my plate? If this person is a critical stakeholder or partner in an upcoming project, the answer is most likely yes. • TIMELY – When am I holding myself accountable to taking this bite/ achieving this goal? By scheduling this meeting within the next two weeks, there is a specific, timebound goal to be accountable to.

STEP 3: TAKE THE FIRST BITE Now that you’ve set your bite-sized goal, figure out a way to hold yourself accountable to taking your first bite. My approach is to tap an accountability buddy who will help motivate me to keep at it. Enlist support of others to manage, mentor or coach you through eating the elephant.

STEP 4: REINFORCE THE PROCESS As you start to chip away at the elephant (or elephants) on your plate, be sure to recognize and reward yourself for your momentum along the way. Do this in a way that is most appropriate for you – maybe it’s a coffee from your favorite café or indulging in an activity that brings you joy. Acknowledge that you are making progress on your elephant and utilize that momentum to take the next bite. Often when faced with challenges or large projects, we like to look for the shiny object – the next model, approach or technology to help us launch into a better mode of operating. I’m here to remind you to dust off the old toolbox and reground yourself in one of the best ways to approach these challenges – one simple step at a time. • KELLY PRAY is enterprise change management lead at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California.

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CHANGING FOR GOOD! Editor’s Note: This is part two of a two-part series.

A PACS/IT BY MARK WATTS

s health care imaging leaders strive to guide their organizations through complex and uncertain times, they face increasing workloads, conflicts between time for care and time to meet regulatory demands, and a sense of loss of control. Burnout is common.

This message was made repeatedly from the 10 CEOs I studied in the book “The Heart of Leadership.” They were chosen by polling contacts, and their contacts, for the names of leaders they considered transformational. The 10 that we chose, all nominated by multiple people, have sustained higher levels of performance compared with their peers in similar circumstances across a range of measures – including safety, quality, financial NO MARGIN, NO MISSION health and public recognition. They came Changing payment models make it even from different kinds and sizes of health care more challenging than usual to find a path institutions, varied geographies and a range to positive margins, and many imaging of backgrounds. By training, four were nursleaders become preoccupied with that path. es, three were physicians and three were However, even though “no margin, no misnon-clinicians. They were interviewed in sion” remains as true as it ever was, I believe depth and the author spoke to their employit is a mistake to place dominant emphasis ees, colleagues and board members. on financial performance. In my study of I found that the same emphasis on patransformational health leaders, I suggest tient-care values was more powerful from that it is possible to achieve both mission the employees of these organizations. They and margin – and avoid burnout – by focuswere just as passionate, committed and ing first on the personal energized as their leaders. and organizational values All were engaged and felt that fulfill the triple aim of positive about what they could better care, better health accomplish together, and they and lower cost. While exhibited no signs of burnout. money is still part of the I was interested in what equation, these leaders made these CEOs tick and keep it in its proper perhow they influenced organispective. zational performance. I read One such transformathe interviews and it showed tional leader, Sister Mary that they all shared personal Jean Ryan, founding CEO values and similar approachand former chair of multies to shaping organizational state system SSM Health, priorities, culture and decionce said, “I worry about sion-making. finances, capital and so on. We identified four personal –Sister Mary But none of it matters if we values and five organizational Jean Ryan can’t provide safe care.” values that all our study sub-

“I worry about finances, capital and so on. But none of it matters if we can’t provide safe care.”

ICEMAGAZINE | JULY 2020

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

jects share. (The quotes each refer to a different leader.) The personal values are: 1. Passion for care. Some of our subjects had been involved in a family member’s care, while others had some other type of direct experience with patient care that fired their enthusiasm. Regardless of its origins, these leaders share a personal passion for care that they communicate to those around them: “The patient matters most to her”; “He is unwavering about the mission – he has a constancy of purpose”; “She has a strong sense of integrity of what’s right for patients – she lives and breathes it.” 2. Hunger for learning and reflection. These leaders are intelligent, eager for learning and able to find time to be reflective. They see these priorities as an essential part of their responsibility: “She continues to expand her personal management toolkit and inspires me to do the

same”; “He is a tremendous learner and listener”; “She has a great capacity to integrate information – a student of leadership.” 3. Authenticity. These leaders’ words match their actions and are marked by authenticity and humility: “ ‘I’m here because of you’ is a quote from the CEO to all staff after a major national presentation”; “She is impeccably true to her words – she is a servant leader”; “I trust him with any decision because he will always do the right thing for patients, the business, employees – and he will not accept otherwise.” 4. Genuine interest in people. It is obvious to employees and colleagues that these leaders care about them and trust them: “There’s a ‘thereness’ when she’s with others. She will swivel her chair, move in and doesn’t look at her computer while listening”; “He has a desire to be with and around people to hear what is important to them, what they need.”

Imaging leaders and clinicians alike must evaluate the degree of personal alignment at every level of their organizations. Otherwise, as you dive deeper into health care transformation, you will encounter a lot of friction and wasted energy. In the face of the new force in the transformation of health care delivery it is important for us to consider our leadership traits and purpose to create alignment to “change for good.” • MARK WATTS has over 20 years as an imaging professional with vast expertise in imaging informatics and IT issues. He has served in many roles in both hospitals and industry as a health care vice president, imaging director and IT consultant. His knowledge and experience in the convergence of IT and imaging has made him a sought after author, speaker and consultant. He has authored a textbook on informatics and was a pioneer in the adoption and development of PACS and VNA technologies.

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INSIGHTS SPONSORED CONTENT

PREVENTING CROSS CONTAMINATION AND ENSURING IMAGE QUALITY ON TEE ULTRASOUND TECHNOLOGY

very physician and sonographer can understand the importance of image quality and preventing cross contamination when performing TEE ultrasound exams. Without a high-quality image, identifying abnormalities is increasingly difficult and less reliable, which is likely the result of microscopic damage to the TEE transducer that comprises the physical integrity of the probe designed to prevent cross contamination. This makes image quality critically important for proper diagnosis and to quickly identify failing equipment to prevent cross contamination.

TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES As with any technology, the TEE transducerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advanced multidimensional capabilities do not mean it is foolproof when it comes to performance. TEE transducers are very fragile, complex, and prone to many issues from poor image quality and missing information to noise and data-transmission problems. Combined with complicated disinfection processes these transducers can fall victim to physical damage that the naked eye may not see. The result is micro punctures and lacerations that allow fluid ingress and can carry to the next patient. These factors make it particularly important to understand how to use the 48

ICEMAGAZINE | JULY 2020

new TEE ultrasound probes and identify anything amiss. Unfortunately, as sonographers are probably aware, no standard or objective method exists for measuring image quality. Therefore, extensive practice and a trained eye are what sonographers typically rely on to identify artifacts and determine the quality of an image as it is a leading indicator of potential contamination. However, as with standard ultrasound transducers, there are certain signs sonographers can look for when using the new TEE transducers to spot anything out of the ordinary. Any image noise and color artifact, such as unintended variation in the brightness, color, saturation, or contrast of an image, is cause for suspicion. Some signs, such as image distortion (rearranged material) or color stripes or noise in a nonphysiologic pattern, clearly indicate an equipment problem. Are all of the scan lines parallel? Or are some out of line or fuzzy in comparison to adjacent scan lines? Does the transducer have any dropped elements?

MAINTENANCE First and foremost, prevention comes from proper maintenance and care of the TEE system. When first receiving new equipment, the sonographer or biomedical engineer should conduct a live-system test to ensure it is in working order. The American College of Radiology (ACR) Technical Standard specifies that acceptance testing must be performed when new equipment is acquired ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

as well as after equipment repairs and major upgrades. For example, the ACR standard notes that tests on transducers should include physical and mechanical inspection, image uniformity and artifact survey, geometric accuracy, system sensitivity, spatial resolution and contrast resolution. Once the system is accepted, careful handling and sterilization of probes helps control equipment service costs and reduce the risk of cross contamination. The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) has posted guidance regarding the cleaning and preparation of external and internal ultrasound probes on its website. It is critical to establish a regular surveillance schedule to guarantee that the transducer is functioning properly over time and with regular use. The AIUM has published recommended or mandatory equipment surveys to be performed, some daily and others at least once a year.

TESTING AND REPAIR Various tools are marketed to test whether a probe is in good shape. Scanners (calibration tools) can be used to identify imaging issues, while certain probe-testing devices can be used to measure and detect any issues related to the acoustic and electrical properties of an ultrasound probe. While these devices may help in certain instances, the best approach to ultrasound equipment testing is live-system testing. Only live-system testing is capable of capturing real images to assess their quality; only live-system testing can reveal the intermittent problems that comprise the majority of issues associated with a probe. Simply stated, there is no substitute for an image-quality test on a live ultrasound system. Once a problem is identified, biomedical engineers and hospital administrators should first consider a repair. The cost of repairing faulty equipment is much lower than the WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM

cost of replacement. Opting to repair rather than replace the technology can maximize its useful life and save health care facilities as much as 97% relative to the cost of original equipment manufacturer replacements. However, it is important to note that the repairability of a compromised TEE transducer decreases rapidly as time passes, due to the corrosion of its materials. For this reason, any technical problems should be acted upon as soon as they are detected to ensure a successful repair. Prompt repair is particularly important for real-time, multidimensional TEE transducers. Delays in equipment failure diagnosis will make them significantly more difficult to service as the fluid ingress corrodes the fragile internal electronics. Due to their higher power and smaller form factor, damage from electrical shorts from fluid ingress is more catastrophic in addition to the risk of cross contamination. Hospital administrators should therefore seek to partner with a reputable, well-trained team of ultrasound support technicians who can repair equipment down to the component level.

PROBE INTEGRITY IS CRITICAL When it comes to accurately assessing and diagnosing cardiac patients, TEE probe integrity should be taken very seriously. This is particularly true when 3D TEE is being used for procedural guidance. As reliance on TEE technology continues to grow and take over functions once dominated by other imaging modalities, ensuring high-quality images will become increasingly important to top-notch patient care. Learning how to spot image anomalies and properly test and care for equipment – and acting at the first sign of any deterioration or failure – will make all the difference. • FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit MySummitImaging.com.

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PRESCRIPTION FOR A BETTER WORKPLACE I EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE BY DANIEL BOBINSKI

n many workplaces, people get hired and instructed on their job responsibilities, they’ll get introduced to the rest of the team, and then POOF – they’re left to do their jobs. Goals are established, meetings are held, and if the magic workplace fairy waves her magic wand in the right way and at the right time, everything hums like a fine-tuned timepiece. Except it rarely works out so well. If you question people about common workplace problems, you’ll probably hear at least one item from the following list: • Interpersonal conflict • Communication problems • Gossip

ICEMAGAZINE | JULY 2020

• • • •

Bullying Harassment Low motivation Poor job fit Why do I say this? Because these are topics I get calls about, and they happen in every industry. Sometimes I find myself reminding executives that workplaces are made up of people, and every person is unique. If they don’t treat employees like valuable assets, employees aren’t as engaged, and that lowers productivity. Also, if employees don’t feel valued – if supervisors don’t connect with them at a personal level from time to time, sometimes the employees leave. You know how most heating and air conditioning experts say we should change our furnace filter every three months? Or, how auto mechanics say to change the oil in our cars every

ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL

5,000-10,000 miles? Or, how dentists say we should get our teeth cleaned every six months? These are standard prescriptions to minimize the chances of our furnaces, cars and teeth having problems. From my experience, the workplace is no different. So, if it were up to me to write a standard prescription for every workplace, it would be, “Train supervisors in how to recognize how each employee is unique, and have them conduct effective quarterly performance reviews to keep everyone aligned and focused.” To accomplish that, I would also prescribe several assessment tools and triads. Let me start with assessment. The tools I’d recommend include DISC behavioral style assessments, a cognitive style assessment such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and to assess motivational preferences I like the Driving Forces assessment. By the way, I dislike calling these assessment “personality tests,” because first, personality is a huge concept and no one assessment tool can measure it. Second, the word “test” implies right and wrong answers, and with behavioral, cognitive, and motivational styles, no right or wrong exists. Styles can be effective or less effective in given situations, but not right or wrong. This group of assessments provides each employee with clear awareness of their strengths and blind spots. The benefit? An opportunity for better self-management and work management. These assessments also provide supervisors with tremendous insights into how to manage individual employees and help each one feel valued. Triads is the term I use for getting supervisors and managers to sit down and engage their employees one-onone. The reason they’re called triads is an objective third party, one who WWW.THEICECOMMUNITY.COM

understands the ins and outs of each assessment, facilitates a conversation between the supervisor and the employee. The role of such person is to create a safe environment so that people can open up and discuss communication and work preferences.

WHY DON’T MORE COMPANIES DO THIS? I believe the reason most companies don’t want to follow my prescription for creating the ideal workplace is they’re too busy driving forward for results. Their focus is on “production” and not “production capability.” It’s like saying, “I don’t have time for changing oil or putting gas in my car, I have places to go and people to see.” Let me share a story based on a concept from the book, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Once upon a time, before the days of chainsaws, a strong young man got a job as a lumberjack. His boss handed him a large saw and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. On his first day, the young man felled 18 trees, and his boss was thrilled. The next day, the young woodcutter brought down only 15 trees, and the third day only 12. On the fourth day, the young man felled only 10 trees. Thinking the young man might be taking too many breaks, the boss went out to observe him on the fifth day. But to his surprise, there was the young man, sawing away, sweat dripping profusely off his brow. Noticing his boss, the young man said, “I must be losing my strength. I’m working just as hard as my first day, but I’m cutting down fewer trees. I don’t understand what’s going on.” “When was the last time you sharpened your saw?” the boss asked. “Sharpen my saw? I don’t have time for that. I need to be cutting

down trees!” What we’re talking about is finding an appropriate balance between production and production capability. Focus too much on production capability and you won’t get much production. But focus only on production, and after a while you won’t be capable of producing. It’s like neglecting maintenance on your car. Before long you won’t be driving anywhere. The reason I prescribe assessments and triads for every workplace is because I’ve seen them work wonders every time they’re used. With this method, disengaged employees suddenly become engaged and problems in communication disappear. Let me close by sharing a story of using assessments and triads in a Fortune 500 company. A certain vice president told me he couldn’t seem to get adequate productivity from one of his directors. The director was well-qualified, but as the vice president put it, “the gears weren’t meshing effectively.” My prescription? Assessments and a triad. A few weeks after the triad I met again with the vice president. “Night and day difference,” he said. “We just needed to learn each other’s styles and how to communicate better within those styles.” All this to say that if the magic workplace fairy hasn’t shown up and your workplace isn’t humming along as you’d like, it may be necessary to spend time on production capability. • DANIEL BOBINSKI, M.Ed. 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 Daniel on his office phone, (208) 375-7606, or through his website, www.MyWorkplaceExcellence.com.

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