Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA) Prep Course
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
8:00 am – 5:00 pm (Registration and breakfast 7:00 am – 8:00 am)

The Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA) Prep Course is designed to facilitate the attendees’ study and preparation for the CRA Exam. The course reviews each domain, or subject area, covered in the exam—fiscal management, human resource management, operations management, asset management, and communication and information management. It focuses on areas to study as well as provide references and direction to other resources. Attendees should use the course to identify their respective areas of strength and weakness. Completion of the Prep Course will help channel the attendees in their foundation of study for the CRA Exam.

Breakfast and lunch are included in the registration fee.

Wednesday, April 16

7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Registration Open

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast with Exhibitors

7:45 AM – 8:00 AM
Welcoming Remarks

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Top Trends in Imaging and IT
Information on this session coming soon!

9:10 AM – 10:10 AM
Digital Mammography Planning and Implementation
Presenter: Katherine Leslie, BS, RDMS, CRA, RT(R)(CT)
Central Oregon Radiology Associates, PC, Bend, OR

This presentation will focus on the planning and implementation steps to deployment of digital mammography. Rationale for making the move to digital mammography will be discussed as well as regulatory and accreditation issues to consider. The presenter will also discuss managing film vs. digital transition and issues related to CR vs. DR. The presentation will also include a discussion on project management for the transition. Other factors to be considered include: radiologists’ reading stations; technologist work flow and education; optimizing radiologist efficiency; environmental considerations; and marketing of digital mammography services.

You will learn to:

• Plan for and deploy digital mammography.
• Make a smooth transition from film to digital mammography.
• Understand the regulatory and accreditation issues to consider when implementing digital mammography.

10:10 AM – 10:40 AM
Coffee Break with Exhibitors

10:40 am – 12:10 pm
Employee Engagement: A Goal and a Strategy
Presenters: Habib Tannir, MS
Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, GA

Dale Walker
Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, GA

The speakers will present an overview of the philosophy on employee engagement and its impact on organizational performance. A specific survey tool developed by The Gallup Organization will be dissected and presented—its anatomical elements are exposed and tied to functional aspects of organizational behavior. The presenters will describes how a radiology department can use the survey to diagnose its strengths and weaknesses along the People pillar of its balanced scorecard. Survey component interactivity can point to leadership, resource, structural or cultural loci of interest. The presenters talk to strategies to remedy possible shortfalls and maintain good performances. Methods of inclusion of results on leaders' incentive plans, with specific thresholds and targets, are suggested.

You will learn to:

• Connect employee engagement with organizational performance along the pillars of a balanced scorecard.
• Understand the elements of an employee engagement survey, their relevance and their significance.
• Develop strategies specific to areas of strengths and weaknesses.
• Develop action plans based on survey results

12:10 PM – 1:10 PM
Lunch with Exhibitors

1:15 PM – 2:45 PM
Developing and Implementing a Comprehensive and Effective Staff Technical Competency Plan
Presenter: Stephen Hiss, RT, MS
Rhode Island Hospital, North Kingstown, RI

Developing strong patient satisfaction results and the best possible clinical outcomes are the two most basic objectives we can target to achieve. The link between staff competence and developing a more positive workplace is sometimes underestimated as being part of a critical path to a healthier workplace environment, improved operations effectiveness, and ultimately strong patient satisfaction. This presentation will focus on how to break down the very subjective notion of what staff competence actually is into definable elements that can be measured effectively and used to develop and implement an overall strategy that will serve to improve individual technologist and/or overall group strength. The presenter will also discuss how specific competency improvement plans can be designed and administered at the individual or group level. The presentation provides specific competency benchmarks to use as guidelines. The impact that technical staff competency and overall group pride has on improved patient satisfaction will also be discussed as a key element in establishing a positive workplace environment.

You will learn to:

• Clearly and effectively define your staff's competence levels.
• Use the basic elements of technical competency to develop specific and realistic performance benchmarks.
• Use benchmarks to develop a strategy that can be applied to improve individual and group technical competency.
• Appreciate the critical link between reaching defined competency benchmarks and its contribution to a positive workplace environment, and ultimately improved patient satisfaction.

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM
Coffee Break with Exhibitors

3:15 PM – 4:45 PM
The Charge Description Master for Fun and Profit
Presenter: John Marshall, CRA, RCC, RT(R)
Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System, Sarasota, FL

Many hospitals experience delayed or rejected reimbursement attributed to an improper charge description master (CDM). Please join us and discover the details and complexities of the chargemaster interactions across the enterprise. During this session a seasoned radiology chargemaster coordinator will present the basic CDM template and areas of potential improvement within your facility.

You will learn to:

• Understand the importance of the CDM and its effects upon coding, productivity and reimbursement.
• Find potential pitfalls in your facility’s CDM and learn how to address them.
• Discover some simple steps to improve your charge capture through an accurate CDM.
• Learn how to accurately audit and improve your CDM in a single workday.

4:45 PM – 6:15 PM
Virtual Radiology Coverage: Workflow Implications
Presenter: Danny Meadows, CRA, BSBA
Healthcare Consultant, Birmingham, AL

This session will discuss the challenges faced with virtual radiology coverage. With the impact of DRA and other issues there will be a greater movement to utilize remote radiology coverage by radiology groups for coverage and to provide sub-specialty coverage such as MSK or pediatrics. The discussion will include a real world look at the challenges of integrating various PACS/RIS and managing the workflow of utilizing various PACS systems. The discussion will also touch on the National Health Information Network and how this will impact workflow.

You will learn to:

• Understand some of the challenges that the local facility will face by using remote radiologists for coverage.
• How to plan for better integrating into local workflow.
• Discuss how the National Health Information Network will impact workflow.

6:15 PM – 7:45 PM
Cocktail Reception with Exhibitors

Generously sponsored by

Thursday, April 17

7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Registration Open

7:00 AM – 7:30 AM
Continental Breakfast with Exhibitors

7:30 AM – 12:00 PM
In-depth topic #1 – Information Coming Soon!

10:10 AM – 10:40 AM
Coffee Break with Exhibitors

12:10 PM - 1:10 PM
Lunch with Exhibitors

1:10 PM – 5:30 PM
In-depth topic #2 – Information Coming Soon!

Wednesday, April 16

7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Registration Open

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast with Exhibitors

7:45 AM – 8:00 AM
Welcoming Remarks

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Verbal Communication and Presentation Skills
Presenter: Jay P. Mazurowski, CRA, FAHRA
Concord Hospital, Concord, NH

Communication is an essential leadership tool; if you learn to communicate well, you will be more credible and effective. This session will help you build your communication strengths and identify areas of opportunity that will improve your communication competence. This course will focus on several aspects of business communication. You will assess your current listening skills and learn tips for improving your ability to listen actively. We will discuss the art of persuasion and explore the use of hypnotic language and power words. The ability to speak confidently in a variety of business settings is the mark of effective communicators. In this course, you will learn a method to systematically prepare materials for presentation. We will also focus on the importance of translating your messages for your target audience.

You will learn to:

• Understand the importance of effective communication.
• Develop your listening skills.
• Take a systematic approach to preparing your materials.
• Expand your public speaking skills.
• Write like you speak.
• Incorporate simple, proven persuasion techniques.

9:10 AM – 10:10 AM
Face-to Face Communication
Presenter: Bonni Standley, MBA, CRA
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Multiple factors influence successful face-to-face communication situations including word selection, body language, setting, type of meeting, location and electronic media. radiology administrators will find themselves doing everything from listening to employees and resolving conflicts to conducting meetings. As “middle managers,” we find ourselves dealing with all levels of an organization. Skills required to conduct a successful meeting—be it one-on-one or a group—are acquired and honed with practice. The focus of this session will be some tried and true methods in listening for meaning, knowing when to fix and when to absorb information. We will evaluate synchronous and asynchronous methods of communication and make decisions about which media are most appropriate for which settings. We will also cover a radiology administrator’s role in offering community education as well as staff education. Interacting with radiologists as team members, not as adversaries will also be explored.

You will learn to:

• Define the parts of communication.
• Use tools to help facilitate communication in different settings.
• Use listening techniques.
• Use meeting set up and facilitation effectively.

10:10 AM – 10:40 AM
Coffee Break with Exhibitors

10:40 AM – 12:10 PM
Interviewing, Recruitment and Retention
Presenter: Sandra A. Anderson, CRA, FAHRA
Memorial Hospital, Colorado Springs, CO

This session will provide participants with insight into current challenges and solutions in the workplace with recruitment and retention of talent. The speaker will review procedures that help you recruit candidates, conduct an interview, utilize behavioral based interviewing questions, and standards of performance, to make the hire and find the right person who is a right fit for your organization. Build a workplace that retains and attracts good people. Participants will review sample recruitment and retention assessment forms, behavioral based interviewing questions, behavior standards and discuss procedures that help you clarify the work reward values that motivate your team. The speaker will explore the importance of value-added service by building relationships. Emphasis is placed on practical “people skills” and “principles of service excellence” that matter and make us successful leaders. Learn how to take corrective measures to remove obstacles and create a great place to work. The session stresses the importance of commitment, ongoing communication, and relationship building. It is easy to retain employees, keep them motivated and productive, when the leader knows how to keep them happy and create an environment where people want to work.

You will learn to:

• Understand why selecting and retaining top-notch staff is key for business success.
• Learn benefits of utilizing peer interviewing and behavioral based interviewing questions.
• Hire the right employees in order to improve retention.
• Understand business trends towards quality, safety and customer service.
• Stay competitive in the war for talent by using effective retention strategies.
• Assess your own retention and calculate cost of employee turnover.
• Create an environment in which talented people stay, continue to grow and contribute.
• Develop programs to better meet employees’ diverse needs and interests.

12:10 PM – 1:10 PM
Lunch with Exhibitors

1:15 PM – 2:45 PM
Challenging Personalities, Uncomfortable Conversations
Presenter: Jeffrey A. Palmucci, CRA
Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, WI

We are all “stuck” not achieving a variety of goals in our lives, personally and professionally. The impact of being stuck is very costly and can be measured in many ways, including employee turn-over, patient safety, image quality, and poor relationships at home and work. Most of us attribute this to dinosaur-brained people or just the “cards I was dealt” but what we are pretending not to realize is that we are creating this mess.

Do you care about image quality? How about your employees challenging the Radiologist when they have a concern? Does it matter to you how techs deal with difficult patients? How well do you share controversial or touchy feedback?

By understanding the link between Crucial Conversations we are either avoiding or holding badly, and our lack of results, we are able to take the first step towards changing our future and recreating it. By “Making it Safe” for others we soon learn what the true underlying causes are for the yucky symptoms we have been addressing. By “Mastering our Stories” we take back control of our lives and begin to experience life the way it is supposed to be: joyful; effective; productive. That means satisfied employees, happy bosses, engaged doctors and safe and impressed patients.

You will learn to:

• Define the ingredients of a Crucial Conversation and the link between them and results of all kinds or the lack thereof.
• Understand and be able to articulate the true costs of Silence and Violence both personally and professionally.
• Define what Safety is made up of and the three skills to “Make it Safe.”
• Understand the phrase “Master my Stories” and be able to immediately create emotions that lead them back to dialogue and thus results.
• Define the ingredients of a Crucial Conversation and the link between them and results of all kinds or the lack thereof.
• Understand and be able to articulate the true costs of Silence and Violence both personally and professionally.
• Define what Safety is made up of and the three skills to “Make it Safe.”
• Understand the phrase “Master my Stories” and be able to immediately create emotions that lead them back to dialogue and thus results.

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM
Coffee Break with Exhibitors

3:15 PM – 4:45 PM
Monitoring Employee Performance: Coaching, Counseling and Performance Improvement
Presenter: Terry A. Dowd, CRA, FAHRA, RTRM
Banner Baywood Medical Center, Mesa, AZ

Monitoring employee performance is a key element in the development of a successful, engaged work force. The hiring process, including job descriptions and setting expectations will be discussed in this session. Matching an employee’s talents with the job expectations is a critical strategy. A well developed orientation program enables the manager to get to know the employee’s strengths and weaknesses. Coaching from the manager, preceptors and peers in formal sessions at specified intervals as well as informal consistent feedback offers encouragement and facilitates two-way dialogue. Competency assessments, performance evaluations, colleague feedback, formal counseling as well as reward strategies will be explored for new and long term employees.

You will learn to:

• Hire and train setting clear expectations and establishing specific goals.
• Coach and counsel newly hired employees as well as long term employees.
• Evaluate performance by establishing two-way communication.

4:45 PM – 6:45 PM
Budgeting for Business Management
Presenter: Penny M. Olivi, MBA, RT(R), CRA, FAHRA
University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD

A medical imaging administrator wears many hats; one of which is the complicated hat of budgeting. In the financial world of imaging there are many different types of budgets. This session will give participants an overview of these different types of budgets and an understanding of how to plan and design them, especially the operating budget. Attendees will also learn about capital planning and how to plan for staffing additions and will see several examples of how to monitor important financial data with respect to your department of responsibility. Other topics to be addressed include staffing analysis, productivity measures, business plans and proformas, and capital planning.

You will learn to:

• Understand types of budgets encountered in medical imaging management.
• Understand operating budgets and capital planning.
• Use tools for monitoring salary, productivity, and staffing within the budgeting process.
• Campaign for staffing additions to the budget.
• Understand business plans and proformas and their role in new program development and budgeting.

6:45 PM – 7:45 PM
Cocktail Reception with Exhibitors

Generously sponsored by

7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Registration Open

7:00 AM – 7:30 AM
Continental Breakfast with Exhibitors

7:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Introduction to Asset Management
Presenter: Jeffrey A. Palmucci, CRA
Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, WI

Asset management encompasses many facets. There is replacement and purchase of additional equipment. In conjunction, a radiology manager must prepare capital budgets and justifications to replace or add the equipment. A manager must consider construction costs, information services costs, engineering costs and service costs in the proposed purchase. Financial options must be evaluated and a manager must prioritize the capital budget for senior leadership and/or Board. Asset management includes analyzing the useful life of the equipment and lifecycle costs such as maintenance, service, supplies and upgrades. Benchmarking data can assist the radiology manager in their justifications.

You will learn to:

• Understand different components of asset management in radiology.
• Justify capital equipment for purchase.
• Understand different costs associated with asset management.
• Use benchmarking data to evaluate utilization of equipment and justify replacement and/or additional equipment.
• Understand different components of asset management in radiology.
• Justify capital equipment for purchase.
• Understand different costs associated with asset management.
• Use benchmarking data to evaluate utilization of equipment and justify replacement and/or additional equipment.

9:10 AM – 10:10 AM
Business Writing Skills
Presenter: Terry A. Dowd, CRA, FAHRA, RTRM
Banner Baywood Medical Center, Mesa, AZ

As imaging professionals move from clinical to leadership positions, different skills are required. A professional document is quite different from everyday writing. In this session, participants will learn how to ensure that their business writing is well received and understandable. The session will cover the 5 keys to successful writing as well as how to avoid some common writing mistakes.

You will learn to:

• Ensure that your communications are understood clearly and well received.
• Ensure that your communications are appropriately written.
• Define the five keys to successful writing.
• Avoid some common writing mistakes.

10:10 AM – 10:40 AM
Coffee Break with Exhibitors

10:40 AM – 12:10 PM
Quality Improvement
Presenter: Sandra A. Anderson, CRA, FAHRA
Memorial Hospital, Colorado Springs, CO

Attendees will learn how to use data for acquiring equipment, improve processes, justify team members, as well as learn how to collect, organize, analyze, and present data. Customer service and satisfaction has become and increasing focus in health care. Physicians and their patients are looking at health care providers for a positive patient experience. The customer focus is growing in relevance to the patients visit. The challenge of continuously improving is more important than ever. Identifying your customers to create a pleasant experience as well as positive patient outcomes is the new challenge. The health care industry has recognized that physicians and patients have a choice of where they go for care. How does your facility become more desirable than the others? One answer is an all-encompassing look at the customer’s total experience, start to finish. Key to addressing their needs is continuous assessment of critical customer satisfiers. Knowing how to recognize, evaluate, and implement change to meet your customers needs is critical. Understanding the need is only part of the answer; implementation is the differentiator. Continuous improvement and change is a necessity to success. Breaking down the process into small tangible tasks that can improve the patient experience will give you the competitive edge in pursuit of customer service excellence.

You will learn to:

• Find areas for improvement.
• Organize change.
• Implement change.
• Discuss the keys to success.

12:10 PM - 1:10 PM
Lunch with Exhibitors

1:10 PM – 2:10 PM
Developing and Implementing Operational and Regulatory Procedures
Presenter: Debra A. Lopez, CRA, FAHRA
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, CA

Maintaining current policies and procedures requires efficient construction of complex (interdisciplinary) and simple (departmental) policies and procedures. Due to the evolving nature of regulations, the policies and procedures must be written to reference the exact regulation or standard cited so it can be updated as we are notified of changes in regulations. Some examples of mandatory regulations radiology faces are Federal laws such as the CFR 20, or the Code of Federal Regulations that govern Radiation and MQSA or the Federal Mammography Quality Standards Act. Voluntary organizations include the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals and Accreditation of individual modalities, such as computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound by professional agencies. An example of a new voluntary organization is The Leapfrog Group, which has two Radiology Standards of Practice: Practice 13, Prevention of Mislabeled Radiographs and Practice 22, Contrast-Induced Renal Failure.

Why separate policy and procedure? Policies reflect the “rules” governing the implementation of processes and procedures represent an implementation of policy. Construction of the simple and complex policies and procedures are usually driven by your organization requirements but can be customized by the owner—you?

This session will include a “how to” review of sample simple and complex policies that will give the attendee tools to take back to their desk, including checklists. The speaker will also share a “roadmap” checklist indicating committee trails for approval, due dates of revision and regulations, standards and any reference used are all part of an effective “driving” document. Examples will be given on how to assure compliance to policies and procedures through monitoring and improving staff performance.

You will learn to:

• Understand the architecture of effective simple and complex policies and procedures required to meet operational and regulatory procedures.
• “Get started” using policy and procedure checklists with a “roadmap” chaser.
• Understand methods to implement the policies and procedures and measure their effectiveness.

2:20 PM – 3:20 PM
Introduction to Project Management
Presenter: Bonni Standley, MBA, CRA
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Rarely a year goes by when a radiology administrator does not have a project to manage, whether it be replacing legacy equipment or starting a new service. Regardless of the scope of the project, its successful implementation is dependent on effective project management. Some projects are organization-wide and the radiology administrator will be a member of the team; other projects are “imaging-centric” so the radiology administrator leads the project. This presentation will include basic terminology, and tools used to manage any project. A case study will be presented to illustrate all the steps.

You will learn to:

• Understand the basic terminology of project management.
• Create a timeline for a project using a Gantt Chart.
• Define team members needed for an imaging project.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Art of Negotiation
Presenter: Debra A. Lopez, CRA, FAHRA
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, CA

This session will define what negotiation is and describe situations where good negotiating skills may come in handy. The session will focus on important negotiations that occur in the Imaging work environment and more specifically on negotiating for services, supplies, and capital purchases. Participants will learn the importance of and how to prepare for negotiation. Attendees will understand needs vs. wants vs. desires, and what can be negotiated. Some negotiating styles, strategies, and tactics will be explored, and body language will also be discussed. The session will wrap up with a discussion on completing and reviewing your negotiation result.

You will learn to:

• Define “negotiation.”
• Understand how good negotiation skills give you an edge.
• Prepare for negotiations.
• Manage the negotiation process.
• Use various negotiation styles.
• Understand and use body language.
• Document your agreement.

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Marketing Matters: Building Basics
Presenter: Peggy Wagner, CRA
CodeRyte, Inc., Rocklin, CA

This session is generously sponsored by CodeRyte, Inc.

Competitive markets and diminishing resources create high-level attention on how marketing impacts your future. No longer can you and your staff register for a marketing-exempt status. Keeping employees, physicians, patients, and the community abreast of the activities in the hospital radiology department and imaging centers requires solid planning and innovative thinking. This interactive session will demonstrate the nuts and bolts of marketing, both internal and external, marketing plans and strategies, and the team commitment needed for growth.

You will learn to:

• Identify the key components of marketing.
• Examine how all employees are integral to the marketing team.
• Understand how building a marketing program not only increases financial performance, but also builds strong relationships both internally and externally for your organization.
• Identify the key components of marketing.
• Examine how all employees are integral to the marketing team.
• Learn how to build a marketing program not only increases financial performance, but also build strong relationships both internally and externally.