Advanced Program: Tuesday, August 14

6:45 AM – 8:15 AM

Continental Breakfast

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Exhibitor Symposium

Technology Enablers for Dose Reduction and Exposure Surveillance

Gregg Cretella, Manager, Clinical Sciences

Fujifilm Medical Systems USA, Inc, Stamford, CT

This session is generously sponsored by FUJIFILM Medical Systems, USA., Inc.

Digital Radiography’s focus remains on improving diagnostic image quality while at the same time, minimizing patient dose. This session will introduce innovations in DR technologies and advanced applications that can reduce patient dose. Additionally, this session will introduce attendees to some of the recent initiatives that support the recording of exposure conditions, facilitate the selection of appropriate radiographic techniques, and provide tools for the long-term monitoring of patient dose.

You will learn to:

Differentiate between various DR detector types and state the advantages of each.
Discriminate between different detector technologies through the use of performance measures.
List the available technology and tools that can be used to facilitate dose management.
Make better use of emerging DR technologies to optimize image quality, patient dose and workflow.

8:15 AM – 9:30 AM

General Session and Keynote

The Pressures on Imaging
Brian R. Klepper, PhD
Healthcare Performance, Inc., Atlantic Beach, FL

Generously sponsored by FUJIFILM Medical Systems, USA, Inc.

Speaker courtesy of Regents Health Resources.

Imaging, along with all other health care services, will experience unprecedented pricing pressures as general health care cost becomes increasingly unsustainable. This presentation will place health care cost in context by clarifying its corrosive impact on the larger US economy, then describe the ways that current policy has distorted the availability and application of advanced imaging. Klepper will offer suggestions for how imaging, among our most clinically productive modalities, must be reconfigured to optimally negotiate the current environmental pressures and the inevitable policy- and market-based changes that will define future utilization.

You will learn to:

Understand how health care cost is devastating the larger US economy.
Understand how historical payment policies have distorted the application of advanced imaging.
Understand what solutions make sense in a revised payment environment.

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Breakout Sessions

Regulations Impacting Healthcare Marketing
Adrienne Dresevic, JD
The Health Law Partners, PC, Southfield, MI

Jessica Gustafson, JD
The Health Law Partners, P.C., Southfield, MI

The health care regulatory landscape is ever-evolving and highly complex. Many activities exempt from regulation in other business areas are highly-regulated in health care. One example of such activities is marketing. This presentation will include a discussion of the Federal Stark Law and Federal Anti-Kickback Statute. The presentation will also address regulations governing IDTFs. In addition, the presentation will include an overview of HIPAA’s marketing provisions. Finally, the presentation may address other health care regulations impacting health care marketing activities. You will learn which marketing activities are appropriate. You will also learn which marketing activities may cause risk for your organization.

You will learn to:

Identify appropriate marketing practices under applicable health care regulations.
Identify inappropriate marketing practices under applicable health care regulations.
Implement practical approaches to marketing in today’s regulatory landscape.

Exposed and Recorded, Now What?
Shawn McKenzie, MPA, CRA, RT, CRT
Ascendian Healthcare Consulting, Sacramento, CA

Jef Williams, MBA, PMP, CIIP
Ascendian Healthcare Consulting, Sacramento, CA

This session generously sponsored by Ascendian Healthcare Consulting.

In July of 2012, the State of California began requiring compliance with legislation enacted in January 2011. Senate Bill (SB-1237) will require recording and reporting of patient dose exposure for what is initially focused on CT procedures. As a result of this legislative action, many states are following the lead of California and introducing legislation. The American College of Radiology (ACR), and now The Joint Commission have both remarked that recording and reporting of “Aggregate Dose” will gain momentum over the next few years and will likely require a higher level of accountability than that prescribed by the legislative language. Exposure guidelines are being updated by the ACR and the Joint Commission is looking to incorporate spot checks related to recording dose as part of their agenda. In this session, we will cover the basics of radiation dose recording and reporting, but moreover, we will discuss how deploying automation to gathering and reporting dose exposure can be used to enhance patient care, standardize exposure protocols, purchase validated low dose devices, and use aggregate dose alerting at the time of order for decision support. Systems must be able to reach across the entire enterprise database in seeking aggregate exposure levels. We will discuss the objectives and technical requirements for data efficacy and the workflow changes associated with this initiative.

You will learn to:

Understand the basic dose reporting requirements.
Understand the California legislation driving the adoption of a national radiation dose initiative - the good, the bad and the ugly.
Discuss the direction and role of the ACR in redefining dose levels and the reporting registry.
Understand future scrutiny: is there a JCAHO roadmap and what this means to your organization.
Discuss the impact of these initiatives on your technology and operations.
Understand the need for automating dose exposure recording and reporting and the emerging technology in support of this initiative.
Understand the impact of these requirements on your operational workflow.
Identify the business advantage of enacting an active dose program in your organization.

Making it all Work
Stuart C. Gardner
SG&A Services LLC, Grapevine, TX

This session repeats on Wednesday at 8:30 AM.

This talk will focus on identifying the challenges of integrating disparate PACS and RIS systems in either an ambulatory or acute care environment. In an effort to consolidate imaging systems to improve productivity and/or lower overall operating costs, some organizations today are seeking to combine these systems including the RIS and the report generation system (VR). An area of focus will be the Vendor Neutral Worklist (VNWL, or sometimes referred to as an “Inteligent WorkList”) as well as the Vendor Neutral Archive (VNA) as some of the tools available today. In addition, there will be discussion on the practical applications of these tools in lieu of purchasing or replacing expensive PACS systems. This talk is NOT intended to address VNA or VNWL selection, but IS intended to provoke the thought process for the consolidation of disparate PACS and report generation and distribution.

You will learn to:

Access multi-PACS functional requirements.
Define and overcome the challenges of integrating PACS and RIS systems.
Understand the uses of VNWLs and VNAs.

Medical Imaging Technologies: Best Practices for Managing Service Costs and Quality
Vicki Petersen, MS, RT(R), FAHRA
Premier Inc, Wolfeboro, NH

John Krepshaw
Carolinas Medical Center - NE, Concord, NC

This session generously sponsored by Premier Inc.

The service and support - or “care and feeding” - of medical imaging technologies is an important and frequently complex component of managing equipment lifecycle. Ideally, a strategy is defined as part of the technology assessment and selection process. More often, it is a reactive response to the warranty expiration. This session will describe best practice strategies for achieving high quality service (minimal downtime) through cost effective tactics. Additionally, the underlying structures and relationships required for successful implementation will be discussed.

You will learn to:

Develop options for reducing service costs for medical imaging capital equipment within your healthcare system.
Determine the resources required and benefits to all participants when developing an integrated team addressing capital purchases and associated services.
Understand the technology assessment and selection process.

What to Expect from the 2012 Congress and How You Can Get Involved
Maggie Sayre, MBA
Association for Quality Imaging, Washington, DC

In this coming year, every radiologist and specialist should be concerned about their elected federal legislators’ political views and influence. The results of the 2010 mid-term elections may have changed your representation, which could highly sway the decisions made in your business’ districts - decisions that will impact your bottom line. Additionally, the recent release of federal payment systems and fee schedules will affect your reimbursements. The presenter will help clarify your current legislative and regulatory issues and concerns and discuss what to expect from the new Congress. The presenter will identify the major Congressional players in 2012 and will categorize issues most important to your businesses this year.

You will learn to:

Identify the major Congressional players in 2012.
Decide what legislative and regulatory issues are most important to your business’ success.
Determine how Congress’ decisions help or hurt your radiology practice.

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Exhibit Hall Open
Lunch served 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Expanded Sessions

Joint Commission 2012-2013 Update for Hospital Imaging Departments
Judith M. Atkins, RN, MSN
McKenna Consulting, Charleston, WV

The presenter will describe the format of the 2012/2013 Joint Commission Standards and their relationship to patient safety. The standards, elements of performance and the scoring methodology will be reviewed with an explanation of patient safety implications. In addition, the changes to the 2012/2013 Joint Commission Standards will be reviewed. The presenter will share the five most common deficiencies identified in imaging by Joint Commission surveyors and the best ways to avoid them.

You will learn to:

Describe the format of the 2012-2013 Joint Commission Standards and their relationship to patient safety.
List the changes to the 2012-2013 Standards.
List the five most common deficiencies identified in Imaging by Joint Commission Surveyors and the common ways to avoid them.

Sensational Customer Service: Strategic Tools to Maximize Patient Satisfaction
Wendy Zeldes, BS, MS
Consultant, Insight Imaging, Lake Forest, CA

This session generously sponsored by Insight Imaging.

Note: Capacity for this session is limited to 50 people on a first-come, first-served basis.

In today’s competitive imaging environment, technology no longer dictates how we differentiate ourselves in the marketplace. Patients do. Providing an exceptional patient experience, from beginning to end, is the single most important factor in securing our success. In this dynamic session, you will be given the tools you need to maximize patient satisfaction, with proven and measurable results. As anyone who interacts with patients can attest, these results don’t come easy. It can be quite challenging sometimes to communicate procedures and paperwork in ways that every patient can understand and be motivated to complete. Persuading patients to even schedule their appointments, let alone pay their fees, can be a downright battlefield.

This program will provide two fundamental tools to overcome these obstacles and make every patient interaction a positive one. The first is the DiSC® Behavioral Profiling system– a tool that provides an intriguing framework for observing human behavior. It’s a tool that teaches us how to better communicate with people. It’s a tool that teaches us how to motivate people…namely, our patients, our referring physicians, and each other. You will learn about the 4 different styles of behavior and what motivates each one. You will discover what your own natural behavioral style is in the work environment and how to adapt and appreciate the styles of others. Most importantly, you will learn how to leave your patients with a favorable and lasting impression.

Next you will master the CHAT model of Objection Handling. Clarify, Honor, Answer, and Test. It’s a sure-fire process used to address any patient concern, from scheduling conflicts to claustrophobia. Your teams will have the skill and the confidence to handle any objection that comes their way, with patient satisfaction as the result.

You will learn to:

Identify the 4 different DiSC® profiles and learn what motivates each behavioral type.
Understand your own behavioral style, and how others perceive you.
Use DiSC® profiling with your patients to ensure an outstanding customer service experience - every time.
Reduce cancellations and ensure patience compliance using the CHAT model of objection handling.
Handle any objection, from scheduling issues to payment concerns, respectfully and responsibly.

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Breakout Sessions

Trends Impacting the Practice of Radiology: What Will the Specialty Look Like in 2015?
Lawrence R. Muroff, MD, FACR
University of Florida, University of South Florida and Imaging Consultants, Inc., Tampa, FL

Radiology is facing turbulent times. Many challenges are present that hadn’t even been contemplated just a few short years ago. The job market is tightening; reimbursement is declining; non-traditional competitors have emerged as potent alternatives to traditional groups; and in addition to many other challenges, the specialty is facing the threat of decommoditization. In the past every radiologist was a winner (although to varying degrees); in the future there will be winners and losers. In the past it took work to fail; now it will take work to succeed. Turbulent times present opportunities for both hospitals and radiologists. This presentation will explore the issues and the opportunities that they present. Practical suggestions to thrive in the times ahead will be presented.

You will learn to:

Describe the major issues facing radiologists.
Discuss ways that radiologists can work to decommoditize the specialty.
Adopt strategies to proactively pursue opportunities in the turbulent times ahead.

Effective Dashboards: A Necessity for Success in Today’s Complex Diagnostic Imaging Department
Gene Bernieri, MBA, CRA, RT(R)(MR)
Orange Regional Medical Center, Middletown, NY

Dashboards today are a fundamental part of a successful diagnostic imaging department. Understanding what dashboards are is a key to the successful creation of an effective dashboard. Imaging departments should have two dashboards: an organizational dashboard and radiologist dashboards. In order to maximize a dashboard’s effectiveness they must be closely aligned with an organization’s mission, vision, values and strategic initiatives. This alignment is critical and will be the foundation of the presentation. Dashboards can be based on organizational pillars including finance, growth, quality, people and service. This presentation will review what dashboard metrics are and how to align them with organizational and radiologist contract goals. The presenter will use metrics developed in his organization to demonstrate one way of creating effective dashboards. He will also lead and encourage interactive discussion during the presentation with the audience to share ideas and experiences.

You will learn to:

Identify an effective dashboard and explain why they are critical to an imaging department’s success.
Create an effective organizational dashboard that is fully aligned with your organization’s strategic mission.
Create an effective radiologist contract dashboard that is fully aligned with your organization’s strategic mission.

Accountability in Imaging: What to Expect, How to Achieve it
Robert A. Maier, BS, CPA
Regents Health Resources, Inc., Franklin, TN

This session generously sponsored by Regents Health Resources, Inc.

Accountable care is the new mantra as CEOs and COOs expand their systems and integrate hospitals, practices, clinics and services. This will have serious ramifications to the revenues and costs of Medical Imaging. What does this mean to us as managers and directors and how should we participate and contribute to the achievement of these new systems? How are we to accomplish the system’s goals with fewer resources and a lack of useable information to guide our efforts? This program will take you through the practical applications of information management, organizational effectiveness and the accomplishment of strategic and tactical change. It will explain the process of engaging employees in best practice implementation and translating those efforts into a results oriented organization. Medical Imaging managers cannot afford to become spectators to the organizational transformations taking place in health care today. This program will help you become a champion for imaging and an active participant in the accountable care development process.

You will learn to:

Understand the critical issues of accountable care and how Medical Imaging will play an important role.
Develop best practice programs that will engage all employees to participate and support Medical Imaging.
Develop information tools that will help to manage the accountability of the medical imaging services and radiologists.
Position medical imaging to be a responsive participant in the accountable care organizations and represent Medical Imaging at the ACO table when resources are being identified and allocated.
Become an Accountable Care Champion for your organization.

A Roadmap to Operational Excellence
Suzanne Ramthun, RT(R) , MBA, CRA, CIIP
Rochester, MN

Sue Rysted RT(R)(MR), CRA, BS, MBA
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Kathleen J. Williams, MA, RT(R) (CT) (CRA)
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

This presentation will look into compliance management from the perspective of human resources, equipment and policies/procedures. Material will be presented regarding the many levels and layers of compliance: interpreting the regulations, testing/validation, education/training and documentation. The presenters will describe situational examples and lead the audience through the mental gymnastics to interpret a regulation; then go through the processes for compliance planning, implementing and problem solving. The examples will be focused on the major categories of compliance for an imaging department. These categories are human resources (employee compliance), imaging equipment and the policies and procedures needed to support the compliance efforts. The intent of the presentation is to provide real world compliance examples for imaging department managers and describe solutions based on many years of experience. Many times a manager is faced with developing a compliance program for a newly passed accreditation or government regulation. This presentation takes the new regulation content, processes it, and formulates an appropriate management plan to satisfy requirements.

You will learn to:

Understand the many layers and levels of a compliance program for imaging equipment and personnel.
Identify components needed for employee compliance (education, testing, documentation).
Understand the fundamentals of an imaging department compliance program.

Radiology Throughput
Susan DeForest, MBA
St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA

The presenter will share how, after 11 years of hospital finance experience, she made the leap to Clinical Operations to manage a hospital-based outpatient Radiology group comprised of approximately 70 employees. The first initiative was to educate the team on the “business of Radiology” and this included a brainstorming session at the first leadership meeting about the goal of Radiology. The leaders came up with everything EXCEPT the true goal, which is, of course, to make money. The presenter helped the Leadership Team realize that if they could increase revenues and decrease expenses, the Hospital and the community would benefit from a greater ability to fund “the mission” of the Hospital to provide care for the poor. At later meetings, the presenter educated the Leadership Team on the manufacturing concepts of bottlenecks, throughput and standard work. Once this foundation was in place, the team was able to design more meaningful workflow experiments to save time in both clerical and clinical processes. The presenter is passionate about teaching others how to implement these concepts in their facilities.

You will learn to:

Understand the manufacturing concepts of bottlenecks and throughput and how they apply to Radiology.
Discuss examples of how to design a workflow experiment.
Use data to measure the success or failure of the experiment.

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Break

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Breakout Sessions

How to Prepare Your Organization for Radiation Safety and Dose Management
Jef Williams, MBA, PMP
Ascendian Healthcare Consulting, Sacramento, CA

This session generously sponsored by Ascendian Healthcare Consulting.

The state of California was the first to adopt radiation safety legislation with requirements for capturing dose by 2013. This measure will likely gain nationwide adoption. What are you doing to prepare for capturing dose? What will you do with information once it is captured and reported? Find out how to create a radiation safety program that includes capturing, storing, and reporting radiation dose and what the ACR requires in reporting dose. Touch on the opportunities to leverage the benefits of an effective radiation safety program that improves patient care and positions the organization for success.

You will learn to:

Explain the current state of radiation dose and safety standards.
List the ACR and dose reporting requirements.
Explain how a radiation safety program can benefit your organization.

Modern Imaging Data Interpretation: Your Hidden Advantage
Brian Baker
Regents Health Resources, Inc., Franklin, TN

This session generously sponsored by Regents Health Resources, Inc.

Beyond the imaging exam, hundreds of data elements support each patient encounter driving revenue, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. While most mature operations know and use a few high level data elements to measure themselves, less obvious data available for decision making, strategy and leverage is rarely used.
As imaging reinvents itself to become more efficient with fewer resources available, tapping into and understanding the power of your data will be the key to future success.

You will learn to:

Understand the variety of existing systems and formats that contain your data.
Layer operational analytics over data.
Benchmark key metrics to create leverage.

Best Practices for Mastering Medicare Medical Necessity & ABNs
Stacie L. Buck, RHIA, CCS-P, RCC, CIC
RadRx, Stuart, FL

This session generously sponsored by RadRx.

Each year providers of radiology services are losing thousands of dollars for services that are not considered medically necessary by Medicare. Effective medical necessity screening and monitoring is vital to the financial success of all diagnostic imaging providers. This session will discuss best practices for mastering the challenges of medical necessity that plague providers. Specifically this session will focus on how to overcome medical necessity challenges including implementing an effective medical necessity screening process to ABNs and the compliance and financial implications of not obtaining ABNs. Attendees will learn the “must have” policies and procedures and will be given advice on effectively monitoring and appealing medical necessity denials. In addition, attendees will receive tips for getting buy in from referring physicians.

You will learn to:

Implement an effective medical necessity monitoring process and minimize denials.
Overcome the everyday challenges of monitoring medical necessity.
Understand which policies and procedures that all providers should have in place.
Work with referring physicians.

Achieving World-Class Service in Imaging by Embracing Transformational Excellence
Airica Steed, RN, MBA, Ed.D
University of Illinois Hospital and Health System, Chicago, IL

Danielle Jaramillo, RDMS, RT(R)(M)
Advocate Condell Medical Center, Libertyville, IL

Diagnostic Imaging is one of the largest revenue producing profit centers at Advocate Condell Medical Center and is positioned for continued profitable growth by maintaining world-class service quality to patients, physicians, and employees. There is a growing imperative to enhance revenue and decrease costs while in parallel maintaining superior levels of service to patients, staff, and physicians. In response to these pervasive challenges, Advocate Condell Medical Center innovated a strategy to achieve service excellence and transformation in Imaging Services using a multi-faceted approach including LEAN six sigma, change leadership, and Studer Group principles. They capitalized on empowering the front-line associates to challenge current paradigms and create breakthrough change with the support and empowerment of leadership. 100% of imaging employees were trained in concepts of effective communication and scripting, managing up, providing service recovery, dealing with difficult patients, and real-time problem solving. Their strategy included training leaders in the radiology department on how empower and engage associates through didactic and interactive learning, personalized coaching and development, and “boot camp” practice labs. Even abbreviated educational sessions were designed for physician partners in regards to customer service. Patients and family members were also part of the change through consistent engagement tools such as real-time rounding and post-visit follow-up calls. The results of this strategy lead to an amazing turnaround in patient satisfaction from 24th percentile to 89th percentile, physician satisfaction moving from the 10th percentile to above the 75th percentile, and employee satisfaction from the 20th percentile to the 93rd percentile. Other outcomes included the implementation and sustainment of first-class practices notable in hospitality service industries.

You will learn to:

Use LEAN six sigma, change leadership, and Studer group principles to implement organization-wide change.
Implement specific best practices based on real-life case studies.
Define the potential outcomes and obstacles to organization-wide change.

The Future of Diversity on Healthcare in America
George N. Miller, Jr., MHSA
Okmulgee Memorial Hospital, Inc., Okmulgee, OK

In this session the audience will learn about the changing demographics in America and the changing dynamics of healthcare. With healthcare reform being debated in Congress and around the nation, one question healthcare executives will face is: Do we have the type of leaders and caregivers needed to make transformational change to deliver care to an ever-changing and diverse population? This presentation will give examples of the impact of the aging baby boomers (ABBs) and their very different view of the world than their parents. The presentation will cover the impact on how healthcare is perceived by an ever technologically-savvy patient population that is going to live longer and the fact that ABBs will be much more demanding and will expect higher quality, patient-focused care each and every time. The audience will learn to select, hire and train caregivers with a servant’s heart, to include healthcare leaders, managers and caregivers. The audience will learn how to select those that can earn the sacred trust of the patients in their dealings with the changing population in America. The presentation will also demonstrate that healthcare organizations that change the culture to be more diverse in their thinking, strategy, selection, leadership, hiring and caring for America will be on the cutting edge of that transformation.

You will learn to:

Understand the changing demographics and diversity of America and examine what that change will mean to your patients.
Describe the impact that ABBs will have on the changing trends of healthcare.
Discuss the efforts that changing to a servant’s heart culture will have on the changing trends in healthcare.
Outline the steps that need to be taken to change the culture of healthcare in America.

5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

Exhibitor Symposium

Successful Growth Strategies in Diagnostic Imaging
Elliot Silverman
Palmetto General Hospital, Hialeah, FL

Greg Flittner

CDI (Center for Diagnostic Imaging), Minneapolis, MN

This session is generously sponsored by Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc.

Reception with hors d’ouevres and refreshments from 5:30 pm – 6:00 pm; session is 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

This session will be presented in two parts. Attendance at both parts of the session will be required to earn CE credit. No partial credit will be provided.

Part One: Attracting patient referrals is more critical than ever for imaging providers who are strategically planning to grow their patient volumes. The goal of maintaining or increasing market share, however, is complicated by competition and new technologies that enter the market, each of which strive to catch the attention of referring physicians through numerous marketing strategies. This session will focus on successful strategies used to increase MRI procedures volumes.

You will learn to:

Identify potential MR imaging growth opportunities in a mature market.
Understand the clinical and patient benefits of High Field Bore-less MRI.
Understand a successful market growth model.

Part Two: The hospital physician employment model continues to reduce the market opportunity for independent operators. Many hospital systems are facing on-campus constraints due to the hiring of major physician groups and lack of available space to expand healthcare and imaging services. There are opportunities for chain imaging providers to partner with capital starved hospitals that are losing share in their markets. This session will focus on proven business models to create and manage long-term partnerships with hospitals and Radiology groups.

You will learn to:

Understand the potential partnership opportunities in your market.
Understand the market consolidation dynamics in today’s outpatient imaging market.
Identify successful models in managing long-term partnerships with Radiology groups.

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

2012 Awards Ceremony and AHRA Fellows Reception

By invitation only