Siemens shifts MRI staff; American heads business

Observers of Siemens Medical Systems may need a scorecard to keeptrack of recent personnel changes in the German vendor's MRI division.The moves include the first American promoted to head worldwideMRI operations.

Thomas J. Miller was sent to Siemens headquarters in Erlangen,Germany, in early May to oversee long-range development of MRIproducts, according to Anne Deery, MRI communications managerfor Siemens.

Miller had previously been division manager of MRI in the U.S.A strong performance in that position resulted in his advancementto worldwide MRI chief, Deery said.

"This is a huge promotion for Tom, and (indicative of)the work he's done," she told SCAN. "We had a very goodyear last year."

Miller's promotion has set off a chain reaction of personnelchanges that has Siemens staffers crisscrossing the Atlantic:

• Lothar Koob, who was worldwide MRI manager, now headsSiemens-Quantum, the vendor's ultrasound company based in Issaquah,WA, (see story, page 3).

• Heinrich von Wulfen will assume Miller's position asMRI division manager at Siemens Medical Systems U.S. headquartersin Iselin, NJ. Von Wulfen was previously based in Erlangen anddirected worldwide MRI sales support and training. He is no strangerto Siemens' U.S. MRI operations, having served as MRI productmanager at Iselin before returning to Germany in late 1989 (SCAN1/17/90, 12/2/87).

• Roger Radke was dispatched to Erlangen from his positionas product manager in the U.S. to take over von Wulfen's job.Joe Ahladis, a Siemens product specialist based in the Los Angelesarea, has been appointed to take Radke's place.

These moves will benefit Siemens by strengthening the bondsbetween the company's European and American divisions, Deery said.That should lead to a more competitive company as Siemens becomesmore responsive to the needs of equipment users in the U.S.

"We've done everything we can to improve communicationsand sometimes that involves a change of personnel," Deerysaid. "We feel the American view on what a product shouldbe like is very important, and Tom (Miller) has been here sincethe start of MRI at Siemens."

BRIEFLY NOTED:

• American Shared Hospital Services of San Francisco hiredtwo senior managers last week to help supervise expansion of thecompany's mobile and fixed-site imaging and therapeutic services.

Edward H. Richards, vice president of sales and marketing atASHS, was formerly with mobile imaging competitor Maxum Healthof Dallas, where he served as sales manager. Richard W. Townley,vice president and general manager of contract services, was vicepresident with BOC/Airco, an international industrial gas andhealth-care company.

ASHS has trimmed unprofitable service businesses and pulleditself out from under a large debt load. The firm had a slightprofit of $34,000 in its first quarter of 1992 (end-March), comparedto a loss (before extraordinary item) of $66,000 in the same periodof 1991. The extraordinary item last year was a gain of $2 millionfrom the repurchase of senior subordinated debt at a discount.Revenue, however, dipped for the first quarter, from $15.7 millionin 1991 to $14 million this year.

BRIEFLY NOTED:

• Maxum Health has hired Nancy J. Corday as vice presidentof acquisitions and development, to help the firm build its fixed-siteimaging business. Maxum is primarily a supplier of mobile MRIservices, but intends to expand its ownership and management offreestanding centers (SCAN 2/26/92).

Corday was previously president and CEO of Goldcor of Chicago,a consulting firm specializing in health-care acquisitions. Shereplaces senior vice president Joseph M. O'Hehir, who left thefirm this year to start up his own medical imaging consultingbusiness (SCAN 5/6/92).