Speaker: Pete Smith, President, SmithImpact

Using a combination of engaging wit that makes him exceptionally personable, with profound wisdom that drives straight to the heart of every audience member, Pete Smith helps every attendee answer the core fundamental question that exists deep within their soul: Do I Matter?

In a world becoming dominated by technology, it's the people - who they are, what they know, what they do, and how they show up - that still matter most, especially in health care. Sometimes it's not even enough to "just show up," as basic an expectation that it is, right? I mean, sometimes people show up -  and others wish they didn't! Show up like it matters.

"To matter" is to live with intention; to focus our talents, our skills, our knowledge, our desires, toward the ultimate goal of positively impacting the lives of others; to spend our lives in a relent less and unapologetic pursuit of Significance. Significance requires that we live by words that aren't popular or trendy. We sacrifice, yet never feel deprived; We build endurance, but never feel burned out; We embrace camaraderie, yet accept total ownership of the process and outcome. Significance requires that we commit to something worthwhile, something that aligns with our purpose and our identity. We pursue something that provides fulfillment, not just happiness. We acknowledge our fear without being paralyzed by it. We take risks when others prefer to play it safe. We win because we bridge the gap between what we SAY and what we DO.

Speaker: Jake Poore, President and Chief Experience Offer, Integrated Loyalty Systems, Inc.

Recent studies have highlighted a significant correlation: when caregivers treat patients as unique individuals, the likelihood of these patients rating the organization's image and reputation as 'Excellent' increases by 295%. This personalized approach also enhances patients' inclination to advocate for the institution both in terms of patient care and as an employer.

Despite advancements in convenience, efficiency, and clinical expertise within radiology and imaging centers, there remains a notable gap in embodying kindness, compassion, and meaningful personal connections. Many patients feel overlooked as mere clinical cases rather than valued individuals, impacting their overall healthcare experience negatively.

Similarly, fostering a culture that emphasizes clear values, connects employees to a sense of purpose, and acknowledges their ability to drive positive change is crucial for caregiver well-being.

This intentional approach not only reduces burnout and enhances resilience but also strengthens employee loyalty, countering the effects of the current 'Great Resignation' trend.

Drawing from Jake Poore's expertise in adapting Disney's renowned service principles to healthcare, participants in this session will gain actionable strategies and leadership tactics. These insights aim to improve employee engagement, elevate patient satisfaction, and optimize operational effectiveness by leveraging the transformative power of meaningful connections.

Speakers: Curtis Williams, Senior Consultant, ECG Management Consultants; Alexander Pinto, Principal, ECG Management Consultants

If you haven't already, it's likely you'll soon be approached for increased financial support from your radiology provider. The surge in competition for radiology positions nationwide has led to increasingly competitive salary offers, positioning it to become one of the fastest-growing segments among physician compensations. Coupled with external factors putting downward pressure on professional collections, this trend is financially squeezing physician practices and private groups. The decrease in profitability is prompting many groups to seek additional financial support from their hospital and health system partners, especially as these hospitals request greater coverage.

When facing funding requests, we recommend several key strategies for evaluation and response:

1. Utilize market benchmarks to understand how the economics and funding of your current partner compare to the market.
2. Identify operational strategies to ensure your organization deploys providers efficiently, supporting a more financially viable service line.
3. Ensure any additional funding agreed upon by your organization comes with clear performance expectations for the group and aligns the relationship with the organization's operational priorities.

Ultimately, our goal is to provide hospital administrators with tools to think critically about requests for additional funding. During our presentation, we plan to discuss market trends in professional radiology services, provide an overview of physician benchmarking, evaluate best practices for provider staffing and deployment, and discuss strategies for engaging physicians in your department's priorities to get the most out of your partnership.

Speakers: Stephanie Holden, PhD, MCHES, R.T.(R)(QM)(MR)(ARRT), Tarrant County College

Surveys to assess the patient's experience of care have become commonplace throughout healthcare. Such survey findings can support various strategies throughout healthcare systems that also include strategies or initiatives specific to inpatient and outpatient imaging departments. General patient care concepts are staples of the standard Radiologic Technology curriculum, and the entry-level Radiologic Technologist must adhere to the ARRT Code of Ethics (#3). Can the traditional patient care course prepare the new graduate Radiologic Technologist for diverse patient population groups and family caregivers. With some state-supported higher education schools and colleges having to restrict topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion due to regulations; on-boarding new graduates to the organizational and departmental expectations maybe needed to maintain or improve the patient experience of care. Departmental on-boarding to align with the overarching organizational mission to address and maximize the patient experience of care, may serve to fill any potential knowledge gaps related to care for diverse patient groups. Medical imaging leaders that serve on Radiologic Technology advisory committees can advise academic program leaders on apolitical approaches for different patient groups seen in their respective departments. Once such approach was introduced by Oben (2020). As a novel approach, Oben (2020) explored the patient experience of care through the lens of the human experience framework. Thus, options or alternatives exist to acculturate the new graduate Radiologic Technologist to an organization or department to maintain ongoing efforts to improve the patient's experience of care.

Speaker: Melody Mulaik, MSHS, CRA, FAHRA, RCC, RCC-IR, Revenue Cycle Coding Strategies LLC

Healthcare regulatory changes continue to impact imaging administrators at a rapid pace affecting both compliance and reimbursement. This session will focus on proposed changes for 2025 as well as current areas of concern. Remote MRI scanning, Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC), site-neutral payment, supervision requirements, as well as other key issues will be reviewed during this session. The operational impact to your organization will also be discussed as well as any relevant AHRA surveys to see how you compare with your colleagues.

Speaker: Nicole Dhanraj, Phd, SHRM-SCP, CPPS, CSSB, PMP, CRA, R.T, (R)(CT)(MR), 424 Business Group Inc.

Depending on the topic, discussing diversity in the workplace is challenging, awkward, and somewhat embarrassing. This workshop is designed to create a safe space to discuss the challenges staff and patients face in radiology. The workshop delves into the transformative realm of inclusive leadership, focusing on navigating diversity challenges for staff and patients. We will explore strategies to address challenges such as microaggressions, biases, and negative staff /patient experiences with the outcome of fostering an environment that enhances well-being for all. By speaking openly about these challenges, leaders can better understand how to champion inclusivity and create a culture that positively impacts staff and patient interactions.

Speaker: Karen Stewart, BSRT(R) CV, CRA, CIIP, Penn Medicine Health System

This DEI presentation aims to help the audience understand that diversity is not about forming a team with members of different races or color. We will delve into the multifaceted aspects of diversity beyond skin color. It begins by providing an understanding of diversity exploring the various dimensions of DEI including race, gender, sexual orientation, age, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. It then moves to discuss how embracing diversity enhances employee engagement, foster innovation and strengthens relationships between employees as well as staff and patient. The presentation will address simple but affect ways to create a diverse and inclusive team. The presentation will offer the audience time to share their experiences on implementing DEI both success and failures. In closing the participants will be encouraged to commit to ongoing efforts in promoting DEI in their health systems.

Speaker: Melody Mulaik, MSHS, CRA, FAHRA, RCC, RCC-IR, Revenue Cycle Coding Strategies LLC

Radiologists and hospitals frequently employ physician extenders, non-physician professionals who assist the radiologist and perform certain imaging services independently. These professionals may have a variety of different credentials, including Radiology Practitioner Assistant (RPA), Registered Radiologist Assistant (RRA), Physician Assistant (PA), Nurse Practitioner (NP), and others. This session will briefly discuss the differences among the various credentials in terms of training and education. Then we will review in depth the Medicare requirements for APP billing and for "incident-to" billing, including the types of professionals to which these concepts apply; the limitations and restrictions on place of service, type of service, etc.; and the type of physician supervision required. Examples will be provided of billable and non-billable services performed by the various types of professionals in the hospital and non-hospital setting (imaging center, private office). Ample time will be given to ensure all participants' questions are covered in the session.

Speaker: Stephanie Manack, M.S., R.T.(R)(M)(VI), CRA, CMQ/OE, 3DR Labs

Change, of any size or scope, is rarely easy. And there is arguably no bigger - or more important - change journey a leader can undertake than one that aims to impact the culture. You could Google "how to change workplace culture", comb through the 382,000,000 hits, and choose any one of the thousands of reputable tools, articles, books, or courses to learn some version of “how to transform your team's culture in 10 easy steps. But culture transformation isn't something you do; it's not a task like planting seeds in the spring. It's the result of planting seeds in soil rich with psychological safety, watered lightly with respect for the past, and continuously fed by the most important part - the people. The people, after all, ARE your culture.

In this two-part session you will gain a deep understanding of what informs culture. We will dive deep into psychological safety, its make-or-break role in workplace culture, and how to assess the psychological safety of your team. You will learn how to identify the emotional archeology impacting your culture, and ways to leverage it as part of your culture toolkit. We will explore practical steps leaders can take to build and improve the psychological safety of their teams to facilitate sustainable cultural transformation. Finally, you will get an opportunity to "look under the hood" at one company's approach to transforming and improving their culture. You will learn the team framework, how psychological safety - and in some cases, the lack thereof - played a role, and how to apply the lessons learned to your own culture transformation efforts.

Speaker: Robert Junk, AIA, Founder of Rad-Planning

With newer reimbursement models for Theranostics in nuclear medicine, PET/CT services and suites have new business model support that may invigorate existing services or provide incremental revenue for contemplated services enough to make them viable. This session will examine practical design considerations for PET/CT suites, including the intersection between suite layout and ionization radiation protections for patients, staff, and the public.Did you know strategically placing hot labs or uptake rooms can dramatically reduce shielding requirements? Do you know the one place you should absolutely *not* locate your hot lab relative to your scanner? Has your shielding plan anticipated changes in clinical uses or changes in occupancy of adjacent spaces (including spaces above or below)? Have you considered the length of travel of hot patients and the occupational exposure of your techs?The presenters will cover the interactions between suite efficiency, layout, and radiation protection, providing practical takeaways for sites with existing PET/CT programs or evaluating potential nuclear medicine / molecular imaging expansions with the use of Theranostics.