2009 Year-End Article Index

Chronicling news & events from this year

Association Coverage

NCBC Conference Preview
Stephanie Twining
See what’s in store for this year’s annual National Consortium of Breast Centers conference, held March 14-18 at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
03-02-09

Keeping up with Ultrasound
Stephanie Twining
This year’s American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine Annual Conference, held April 2-5 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, is all about keeping members up to date on the latest and greatest in diagnostic ultrasound.
03-16-09



Child’s Play
Stephanie Twining
This year’s Society for Pediatric Radiology Annual Meeting focuses on the latest imaging technology and gives all health professionals the information they need to stay on the cutting edge of pediatric imaging.
04-06-09

rt image Data Sheet . . . Professional Associations
With so many organizations to choose from, how do you know which is the best fit for you? Let our comparison chart of radiology organizations guide your decision.
04-06-09

Moving Forward in Back Bay
Stephanie Twining
The oldest radiology society in the U.S. will gather in one of the oldest cities in the country for the American Roentgen Ray Society 2009 Annual Meeting. History, however, is not the focus; this year’s meeting is about improving the future of radiology. The nearly 2,000 attendees will participate in instructional courses and scientific sessions highlighting the latest research in the field.
04-13-09

Images of . . . AIUM
The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine’s (AIUM) annual meeting in New York City, April 2-5, gave rt image the opportunity to catch up with the latest news and events in ultrasound. Check out these photos and a Webcast from AIUM 2009 and see for yourself.
04-20-09

Communication Is Key
Jennifer Pilling, MA
The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) will be holding its 2009 Annual Meeting in Charlotte, N.C., from June 4 through June 7. SIIM continues to provide physicians, healthcare IT decision-makers, PACS administrators, and vendors from around the world the opportunity to explore the emerging field of informatics.
05-18-09

Images of . . . Leading Edge in Diagnostic Ultrasound
The Jefferson Ultrasound Institute’s “Leading Edge in Diagnostic Ultrasound” annual conference in Atlantic City, N.J., May 19-21, gave the opportunity to catch up with the latest developments in diagnostic ultrasound. Check out these photos and Webcasts from “Leading Edge” and see for yourself.
06-01-09

Beyond Borders
Stephanie Twining
The Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) 2009 Annual Meeting will be held in Toronto from June 13-17. Physicians, technologists, and scientists will meet and mingle while expanding their knowledge of the field, discovering new technologies, and learning about the latest medical products.
06-15-09

Images of . . . SIIM 2009
If you couldn’t make it to Charlotte, N.C., this year for the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine’s annual meeting, these photos and videos from the event will bring you up to speed.
06-15-09

Images of . . . SNM 2009
Missed out on the SNM’s annual meeting in Toronto? Don’t worry – this recap from the show will catch you up to speed on the latest news and developments in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.
07-20-09

A Winning Bet
Mark D. Marotta
There will be informative programs and networking opportunities aplenty when AHRA: The Association for Medical Imaging Management holds its annual meeting and exposition at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, in Las Vegas, from Aug. 9-13.
07-20-09

Images of . . . AAMD 2009
Fairmont Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Ariz., June 21-25
With more than 500 radiation oncology professionals in attendance at the beautiful Fairmont Scottsdale, the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists’ 34th Annual Meeting was a tremendous success! Attendees had the opportunity to earn more than 30 MDCB credits, meet with colleagues, and learn about the latest products and technologies from the exhibitors.
08-17-09

Chicago, My Kind of Town
Wendy Anne Kopiwoda, RT(R)(M), ASRT, CRT
Read the story of a tech’s 38-year career in radiologic technology, which had humble beginnings in the basement of a Chicago hospital during the early days of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists.
08-17-09

Within Our Reach
Sabrina Rodak
The World Health Organization estimates that 4 billion people in the world (two-thirds of the population) do not have any radiology resources. In response, many groups have formed to deliver much-needed equipment, education, and expertise to developing countries. Although global outreach is not a new concept to radiology, the past few years have seen an increase in organizations dedicated to providing radiologic resources to the developing world.
09-21-09

No Organization is an Island
Sabrina Rodak
On July 1, the strategic integration between the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) took effect. The agreement allows both groups to benefit from the ARRS’s educational resources and the ACR’s advocacy work, among other programs. However, these groups are not the only ones working together to improve radiology. In fact, collaboration has historically been an unofficial policy among radiology leaders.
09-21-09

Images of . . . AHRA 2009
The Association for Medical Imaging Management placed bets that its recent annual meeting in Las Vegas would be a success. Check out these photos from the conference to see that the odds were in their favor.
09-21-09

Aimed at the Future
Kelly Olsen-Stanko
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is holding its annual conference in Chicago this November. Entitled “Radiation Oncology 2020,” this year’s meeting focuses on emerging technologies and new frontiers in radiation oncology.
10-19-09

Where Quality Counts
Kelly Olsen-Stanko
It’s time again for radiology’s biggest annual tradeshow. This year marks the 95th meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and will be held Nov. 29 to Dec. 4.
11-16-09

Images of . . . RSNA
The Radiological Society of North America’s (RSNA) annual meeting in Chicago, Nov. 29 to Dec. 4, gave rt image the opportunity to catch up with the latest news and events in radiology. Check out these photos from RSNA 2009 and see for yourself.
12-07-09


Clinical Cases

Examine | Case Reports: Jejunal Diverticulitis
Alex Mortimer, James Harding, Huw Roach, Mark Callaway, and Jim Virjee
In this first installment of Examine | Case Reports, we present the case of an elderly patient who, at CT, was diagnosed with an intra-abdominal abscess involving both jejunum and transverse colon.
01-05-09

Examine | Case Reports: Sacral Ewing’s Sarcoma
In this installment of Examine | Case Reports, we present the case of a 15-year-old boy from India with sacral Ewing’s sarcoma. This case report was originally published in the January issue of the Journal of Radiology Case Reports.
01-26-09

Examine | Case Reports: A Tell-Tale Heart
Ashley E. Kempf, BS, Maryam Golsham Momeni, MD, and Farhood Saremi, MD
In this installment of Examine | Case Reports, we present the case of an 18-year-old male with a history of end-stage renal disease and rejected renal transplant.
03-02-09

Examine | Case Reports: Sounds of the Heart
In this installment of Examine | Case Reports, we present the case of a 47-year-old male patient who presented with atypical chest pain and a history of cardiac arrhythmia and underwent cardiac CT to exclude coronary artery disease. This case report was originally published in the June issue of the Journal of Radiology Case Reports.
07-06-09

Examine | Case Reports: A Rare Sight
In this installment of Examine | Case Reports, we present the case and corresponding findings on MRI of a 23-year-old male patient with Kukuchi-Fujimoto disease with the rare ocular manifestation of bilateral anterior uveitis. This case report was originally published in the July issue of the Journal of Radiology Case Reports.
08-03-09

Examine | Case Reports: The Whole Picture
In this installment of Examine | Case Reports, we present examples of incidental findings from lumbar spine MRI examinations for low back pain. This case report was originally published in the August issue of the Journal of Radiology Case Reports.
09-07-09

Examine | Case Reports: Eyeing Every Option
In this installment of Examine | Case Reports, we present a rare case of glioblastoma multi-forme of the optic pathways in a 68-year-old woman. This case report was originally published in the September issue of the Journal of Radiology Case Reports.
10-05-09

Examine | Case Reports: Reassess for Certainty
In this installment of Examine | Case Reports, we look at the case of a false-positive FDG-PET in a 12-year-old girl due to brown adipose tissue (BAT) uptake in the abdomen. This case report was originally published in the October issue of the Journal of Radiology Case Reports.
11-02-09

Examine | Case Reports: The Great Imitator
In this installment of Examine | Case Reports, we present the case of a suspected meningioma found in the brain of an 68-year-old woman diagnosed with stage-4 colon adenocarcinoma metastatic to the lungs. This case report was originally published in the November issue of the Journal of Radiology Case Reports.
12-07-09


Coding & Reimbursement

A Conversation with . . . Stephen J. Herman, MD
Stephen Herman is president of MedCurrent, a Los Angeles-based provider of Web-based insurance eligibility verification tools that link healthcare providers with insurance carriers to enable real-time patient insurance verification. Herman discusses how automated patient eligibility verification can help imaging practices increase revenue by eliminating manual tasks and reducing denied claims.
02-09-09

Case Study: Optimizing Day-to-Day Operations
Kirk W. Reinitz, CPA
When Advocate Radiology Billing and Reimbursement Specialists decided the time was right to pursue computer-assisted coding. It sought a solution that would improve coder productivity and capacity, reduce denials, strengthen compliance, improve coding outcomes, eliminate our backlog, and reduce turnaround time. Read about how CodeRyte’s technology improved coding quality by almost 11 percent.
05-04-09

When Writing off is No Longer an Option
Richard C.H. Masson, MBA, MHA
In today’s market, only radiology groups that take every available step to ensure that they’re being paid fully and promptly for services rendered can hope to prosper in the long run. At the heart of a more rigorous approach to revenue cycle management is a process for dealing effectively with denials.
05-04-09

The Race to Manage Imaging Costs
Jane Kollmer
RBMs have been the proposed method of reducing imaging overutilization, and with a proven track record, they pack a strong financial argument. But are they the right way and are they the only way? Electronic decision support, which uses algorithms based on appropriateness criteria, is coming into the forefront as another contender in the race to manage imaging costs. But is this technology ready for “prime time”?
07-20-09








Proceed with Care
G. Darrell Hulsey
Before selecting a practice’s billing and practice management services provider, follow these guidelines.
08-03-09

Master of the House
Trina Cuppett, CPC, CPC-H
When it comes to reimbursement, it is of the utmost importance for any facility, large or small, to ensure that the chargemaster is updated regularly. Although there were only a handful of changes to the radiology section of CPT in 2009, the chargemaster must capture these changes in a timely fashion to avoid claim errors, denials, and potential audits from outside agencies.
08-17-09

Decision Support Solutions
Brian Marx
If you were bargain hunting at a neighborhood garage sale, you probably wouldn’t think twice about haggling over the cost of an old lamp. You wouldn’t expect it in an industry as professional as healthcare. Yet, every day, healthcare providers forfeit revenue to payers who erroneously deny and underpay for services they provide. As a result, physicians are left searching for new ways to drive down operational costs in order to maintain an income.
11-16-09


Computed Radiography

A Conversation with . . . Joe Giordano
In today’s economy, saving money is on everyone’s mind. For many administrators and clinicians in low-volume imaging environments, computed radiography (CR) has been a cost-effective way to migrate from screen-film to digital: simply buying CR cassettes to replace analog ones, CR requires the least amount of retraining, as technologists are already familiar with the devices. Konica Minolta’s Joe Giordano discusses how the current economic downturn has affected the industry, and how this new look at the healthcare bottom line is changing the purchases of hospitals and imaging facilities across the country.
03-30-09

rt image Data Sheet . . . Computed Radiology
Is your hospital or facility looking to purchase a CR system? Get all the specs before you buy. rt image compiled the details from industry vendors so you can compare the latest products.
11-02-09


Computed Tomography

A Group Effort
Janine Anthes
Coronary CT angiography is the first modality that can quickly and reliably diagnose – and, most importantly, accurately assess – the presence and/or progression of coronary artery disease. In some cases, the modality has strengthened the relationship between radiologists and cardiologists.
03-23-09










Three Strikes
Ethan J. Halpern, MD
Over the past few years, coronary CT angiography (cCTA) has been established as an accurate, noninvasive test for coronary disease. The triple rule-out (TRO) cCTA combines CT angiography of the aorta and pulmonary arteries with cCTA to evaluate for coronary disease, pulmonary embolism, and aortic dissection with one quick test.
06-15-09

rt image Data Sheet . . . CT
Looking for a CT system for your hospital or facility? Get all the details on the latest in CT offerings, and compare before you buy.
09-07-09

The Breast Imaging Conundrum
John M. Boone, PhD
Learn about tomosynthesis and breast CT, which a number of universities, including the University of California Davis, are studying as a possible approach toward potentially improving the cancer detection rate.
09-21-09


Digital Radiography

Take the Longer View
Dennis Runyan
By combining image capture and image review into one step, digital radiography has presented itself as an ally to high-volume facilities, including teaching hospitals and facilities suffering from technologist shortage – environments where digital radiography’s higher throughput becomes cost-effective. In the current economy, there has been a decisive shift to bottom-line thinking emphasizing the cheapest available options; however, imaging managers must also give consideration to what will benefit the facility in the long-term, as the economy continues to trudge through this recession.
03-30-09

How Gray Is Gray?
Julie Tinklenberg, PhD
Intricate part designs and weight-reduction initiatives continue to drive current users of metal components toward plastic solutions. However, with the change from metal to plastic, parts must maintain their visibility in X-ray images for certain medical applications.
05-18-09







rt image Data Sheet . . . Digital Radiography
Is your hospital or facility interested in purchasing a DR system? Get all the specs before you buy.  rt image compiled the details from industry vendors so you can compare the latest products.
11-02-09


Display Systems

Making the Upgrade
Jim Baker
As healthcare professionals look to integrate new medical-grade LCDs into their existing facilities, many factors take part in successfully converting an outdated monitor. Read about the benefits of switching to LCD monitors, such as price, cost of ownership, screen performance, ergonomics, mounting changes, input connectivity, power consumption, emissions, and recyclability.
04-27-09

On Display
Manoj Tyagi
The display market is getting increasingly more mature and has left its rival cathode ray tube (CRT) displays far behind. No one even ever talks now about CRT and its advantages or disadvantages. Fat is out and thin is in. However, the real competition is no longer coming from the outside; it is from inside. The latest conversation has been about LCD vs. LCD. And what’s next?
07-20-09

rt image Data Sheet . . . Display Systems
Thinking about upgrading the Display Systems at your hospital or facility? Make sure you find the ones that best suit your needs.
09-07-09


Education

The Generation Y Adult Learning Theory
Teresa Williamson, MS, RT(R)(M)(CT)(BD)
Generation Y – individuals born between 1981 and 2003 – is currently flooding universities, community colleges, technical colleges, and career centers. A different breed than Generation X or the Baby Boomer generation, Generation Y is transforming the adult education field.
04-27-09



Phantoms in the Classroom
Bob Stott
Contrary to the obvious, imaging phantoms are not just inanimate objects that fill in for humans for the testing of medical equipment in the laboratory – they serve as teaching tools in the classroom. Teachers and students alike benefit from the durability and flexibility that imaging phantoms provide.
04-27-09

Ghosts in the Machine
Matt Skoufalos
Unlike those creatures of the supernatural, these phantoms are products of the more extraordinary magic of medical technology. Discover how the latest developments in the phantom industry are providing students with the invaluable opportunity to safely and effectively learn imaging procedures before they enter the field.
04-27-09


Ergonomic Workstations

Bringing Health to the Healer
Derek Timm
In today’s healthcare industry, it is common for radiology staff to work for hours in a single position – often using the same space as the shift before them. This begs for adjustability so radiologist discomfort doesn’t hinder quality care.
04-06-09

rt image Data Sheet . . . Ergonomic Workstations
Searching for new ergonomic workstation furniture for your facility? Then look no further. rt image has assembled the stats on vendors’ workstation offerings for you to check out.
04-06-09

PACS: The Human-Machine Interface
Susan L. Murphey, BS, RDMS, RDCS, CECD
Radiologists spend many hours at their workstations, and a big concern in the industry is how to maintain productivity while keeping the radiologist comfortable. rt image turns to Susan L. Murphey, second-place winner of the 2008 rt image Writers Contest, to enlighten us about PACS workstations and the importance of creating an ergonomically safe work environment.   
04-06-09   


Going Green

Environmentally Friendly: Radiology’s role in going green
Healthcare professionals are among those paying more attention to the environmental impact of their operations. Through environmentally friendly operational procedures and purchasing programs, radiology practitioners, manufacturers, and healthcare facilities can achieve safer working environments, a more positive public image, and substantial financial savings. Randy Walter, senior vice president at St. Louis-based Amerinet, discusses what radiology professionals can do to implement environmentally preferable purchasing practices.
02-16-09

Building the Paperless Imaging Center
Bob Stott
For years, the myth circulated like a whisper around imaging circles, be it private practice, imaging center, or hospital: “paperless” is coming. And, at the outset o