AHRA 2011

The drive for improved system integration and decreased turnaround time has led to a continuous analysis of procedures and a never-ending cycle of trying to get the work flow to work.

From med-mal to reimbursement, radiologists have quite a few metaphorical guns to our collective heads.

A radiologist alone in a dark room with his computer.

Radiologists generally seek to have an impact on things. We want to know we are making a difference — in patient care and department protocol.

Here are a few pointers for renegotiating your contracts.

GRAPEVINE, TX —The radiology industry finds itself dealing with exposure — not just in determining appropriate levels of radiation, but also with an overabundance of media coverage on the topic of dose.

GRAPEVINE, TX — On the show "House," radiologists themselves almost never get screen time — a “sobering parallel” to the real world. That's because for radiologists, industry changes and emerging imaging resource trends are threatening some of their livelihood, according to Lawrence R. Muroff, president and CEO of Imaging Consultants.

Everyone from radiologists to technologists must address upcoming health care changes, as the imaging industry reels from — and faces probable new — cuts in federal funding, said Maggie Sayre, executive director of the Association for Quality Imaging in Washington, D.C.

GRAPEVINE, TX — Imaging professionals should prepare for the new health care model by assessing the current state of the practice, from the IT infrastructure to the work flow, according to consultants at Ascendian Healthcare Consulting who spoke at AHRA this week.

GRAPEVINE, TEXAS — A decade after a 6-year-old boy died in a freak MRI accident, what have medical regulators done to ensure greater MRI safety?

GRAPEVINE, TEXAS — Facing a medical malpractice lawsuit can be a daunting, years-long process. But Detroit lawyer David M. Ottenwess had some simple, initial advice for radiology managers: Don't panic.

GRAPEVINE, TX —No one's plates are getting any less full these days. So when thrown a new work project, it's best to breathe and strategize, practice management consultants told attendees of the annual AHRA conference this week.