'Tight ship' column sparks memories of good old days of rad-tech collaboration

I read with great interest the June 2006 article by Dr. Bradley Tipler, ("Command of a tight ship stays out of reach," page 64) and am responding because of a surprise phone call I received from an old friend with whom I helped build one of the most successful MRI departments in North Carolina. He arrived in 1988, originally from Chicago, and he taught me everything I know about MRI.

We worked our butts off and loved every minute of it. I had the utmost respect for him and probably would have taken a bullet for him. I didn't always agree with him, but I always did as he instructed, because as I often said, "It's not my name at the bottom of the report, it's yours."

He's now retired at the ripe old age of 46 because he's sick of the bureaucracy in medicine. He and I used to love to fight the administration when it tried to impose ridiculous rules that were counterintuitive to patient care. We stood side by side, treated patients as they should be treated, and at the same time made a lot of money for the hospital. The "good old days" are gone, and I miss them.

Thanks for your article and especially the impeccable timing. And remember, there are still some of us "old school" technologists out there.

-Syd Johnson, RTR(MR)

West End, NC