Speakers: Christopher Salem 

This session will give radiology stakeholders the information they need to submit accurate claims for E/M services performed by radiologists in 2023. All of the relevant E/M procedure codes will be reviewed to ensure correct application of new and revised guidelines for inpatient services as well as the previous updated outpatient services. Not every interaction between a radiologist and a patient qualifies as a billable evaluation and management (E/M) service. However, if you are not billing for any E/M services, you may be leaving money on the table. This session will help you determine whether an encounter is billable or whether it is included in other services the radiologist performed. Real-life examples of billable radiology E/M services will be reviewed to reinforce key principles.

Learning Objectives: 

• Review guidelines to define differences between medical decision making and time-based for both inpatient and outpatient office visits
• Review physician global periods to determine when patient visits may be billed and the associated documentation guidelines.
• Discuss telehealth visits and when they might apply to radiology services

This session qualifies for 1 hour of CE Credit.

Speaker: Elyce M. Wolfgang, MRA, CRA, R.T. (R)

Psychological Safety is defined in Amy Edmondson’s 2019 book “The Fearless Organization” as “a climate in which people feel comfortable sharing concerns and mistakes without fear of embarrassment or retribution.” Creating a work environment that supports learning is essential in today’s ever-challenging healthcare environment. Team-based learning includes sharing knowledge, offering suggestions, and brainstorming better approaches, all while destigmatizing failure. Psychological Safety is an essential aspect of creating a High-Reliability Organization.

Psychological safety promotes diverse views and perspectives, but it’s difficult to change the perception that critical discussions are synonymous with conflict. It’s also difficult to change the perception that mistakes are synonymous with failure. How can we help our team members embrace mistakes/problems and critical discussions? Then, taking it a step further, how do we learn from the discussions and mistakes, and create solutions that solve the root cause of the problem?

In this session, we will explore what psychological safety is, and what it is not. We also explore the tools we have in our Imaging Leadership toolbox to help us along the journey to a High-Reliability Organization.

Learning Objectives: 

• Understand why & how cultivating psychological safety and team-based learning is directly related to increased employee engagement, patient experience, and financial gains.
• Describe how psychological safety & the concepts of High Reliability are intertwined
• Demonstrate methods and tools we can utilize to create a psychologically safe environment – a case study

This session qualifies for 1 hour of CE Credit.

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 a 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 non-physician practitioner 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).

Learning Objectives: 

• Review the Medicare supervision and billing requirements for radiology extenders.
• Discuss the concept of “incident-to” services and the requirements for billing for those services.
• Provide examples of billable non-physician services in the hospital and office or imaging center setting.

This session qualifies for 1 hour of CE Credit.

Speaker: Kristan Harrington, MBA, RT, R, MR, MRSO MRSC

This presentation is intended to explain Remote MR Scanning. As we move into the future of MR Imaging remote scanning has become an important topic. It is one that is controversial in many ways. The education that I will provide will explain in detail the components to create a safe MRI imaging environment with an MR Technologist scanning from a remote location. The education of person, typically referred to as a Patient Care Tech Aid must have the necessary training and education to meet Level 2 standards as defined by the American College of Radiology (ACR). This education must be completed annually. This type of imaging will allow for financial benefits, but it will also bring experts to image exams where experts are not in place. This would include exams such as cardiac, breast, prostate, and other very detailed MR exams. While this topic creates concern and trepidation, the benefits and how we move into the future requires this education in order to feel comfortable embracing the benefits.

Learning Objectives: 

• Upon completion, participants will be able to take the information received and leave with information to take back to administration and knowledge share on the benefits of Remote MR Scanning.
• Upon completion, participants will be able to understand and mitigate the risks as their facilities to implement Remote MR Scanning.
• Upon completion, participants will be able to reduce their trepidation and increase their confidence in the merits of Remote MR Scanning.

This session qualifies for 1 hour of CE Credit.

Speaker: Tobias Gilk, MRSO, MRSE

One of the greatest 'speed bumps' in MRI throughput is assessing and clearing patients in whom there are implants or foreign bodies. While this has grown to be one of the biggest patient safety threats in MRI and 'time sucks' in operating a service, it's still quite rare that technologists and radiologists are formally trained in the MRI risk-assessment process.

Too often MRI scanning decisions depends on explicit "green light" indications from manufacturers' labeling. What happens when the labeling is ambiguous? Or if the labeling is clear, but conditions can't be met for the specific study requested? Or if there's no MRI labeling available, at all? How can a site assess the risks or do they just turn patients away on the presumption that the safety is 'unknowable'?

It may not be given to you, but often the 'unknowable' is, in fact, able to be figured out. This presentation will provide all attendees with not only a
description of a process for simplified implant/device risk assessment, you'll get the specific tool! Such a tool can't answer all questions about all possible MRI studies, but it is a significant 'jumping off' point for improvements in MRI safety and patient access.

Learning Objectives: 

• better understand MRI safety labeling and vendor-provided information (which can sometimes create more questions than they answer).
• describe the three electromagnetic fields in MRI, including when and where they live, and what risks they present to the MRI patient.
• use the simplified risk assessment tool, and be provided with a copy of it to take home.

This session qualifies for 1 hour of CE Credit.

Speaker: Josh Block

Leadership is layered, complex, and extraordinarily challenging. As someone who is a practitioner first, I've had the opportunity to see the powerful impact of shifting a "me" centered culture to a "we" centered culture. This shift has been a complete game-changer in our organization. And it can have a significant impact on your organization too!

In this session, we'll spend time understanding the differences between a "me" culture and a "we" culture. Then, we'll dive into understanding the three foundational elements that help foster a "we" culture where people thrive and, in turn, bring their best.

After we've laid the groundwork, we'll transition into a robust time of contextual Q&A. You'll have an opportunity to share challenges you're facing and learn practical tips to approach them in new and fresh ways.

Learning Objectives: 

• Participants will learn to describe the differences between a "me" culture and a "we" culture and the impacts both have on an organization's culture and team contributions.
• Participants will learn practical approaches and steps to implement a "we" culture in their own organizations.
• Participants will learn methods to adjust their own leadership style (language, posture, vision) to align with the "we" centered culture approach.

This session qualifies for 1 hour of CE Credit.

Speaker: Todd Minnigh, BS, VP XMS Business at Leidos

Asset utilization in any business is often correlated with longer hours, and a full schedule. In medical imaging there is a variable which is beyond our control, the patient. No-shows up and lack of preparation is often a cause of unutilized capacity

A Leidos QTC studied the effect of high-contact care coordination on the utilization of CT. Based on a hypothesis that patient no-shows and last-minute cancellations were the result of the communication approach, the team designed a solution based on six-sigma process improvement and learnings from millions of VBA disability benefits examinations. 

Baseline KPI’s for missed opportunities (no-shows+ last-minute cancellations) along with time to schedule and total cancellations were generated. These initial findings were then compared with results after the implementation of the care coordination changes. The changes include multiple repeat attempts to schedule initially, follow-ups by phone, longer call-back hours, email, text, and autodialed computer telephone reminders, additionally verification of needed lab work completion and premedication preparation.

We hope to make results of this study will be available in mid-2023 so these can be shared at the time of presentation. Expected outcomes will show measurable reduction in lost opportunities that yield improved schedule flexibility and increased total average scans per day. Reasons for missed opportunities will be measured and shared.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify key reasons patient examinations are canceled last-minute and identify tools shown to mitigate these causes
• Understand the key differences between scheduling and radiology care coordination in patient planning
• Calculate the financial benefit of reducing no-shows and same day cancellations in modalities with full schedules

Speaker: Brian Fox, FACHE, MBA, CRA, RT(R)(MR), Executive Director, Radiology and Patient Transport at Barnes Jewish Hospital

During the past two years, we have seen an increase of trauma based events. Our patients, teams and leaders in Radiology have experienced trauma with COVID, Supply Chain constraints, staffing shortages and workplace violence. In this session we will focus on what is trauma, three E's of trauma and the six guiding principles to a trauma-informed leadership approach.

We will discuss adverse childhood experiences gain understanding on stressors and outcomes with adult health and well-being. Attendees will learn about vicarious trauma, impacts of trauma. and strategies to support themselves and teams they lead.

Learning Objectives:

• Upon completion, the participant will learn: -what is trauma and understanding trauma -list the three E's of trauma -Identify the six guiding principles to a trauma-informed leadership approach.
• Upon completion, participant will describe adverse childhood experiences and how these stressors impact outcomes with adult health and well being. You will learn vicarious trauma definition impacting Radiology care teams.
• You will learn resiliency techniques for self care and supporting teams in a trauma informed leadership framework.

Speaker: Jennifer Davenport, MSM, RTR, Process Improvement Manager at Massachusetts General Hospital

In healthcare, we are always balancing how to maintain efficiency, operate at the highest level of throughput, and maintain safety among our patients and staff. With all of this to focus on, it is possible to lose sight of the fundamental voice of the patient.

The importance of patient feedback is often underestimated. Largely dependent on the timeliness of the feedback, it can be one of the most effective ways to increase quality and safety of the care we provide while at the same time improving the patient experience. The patient feedback that we receive from the weekly patient surveys has been a way for us to take a closer look at the operational challenges we face and make much needed changes. It has been the catalyst for change in the operational areas. Change as we know can be met with resistance. The changes and improvements that have been suggested, those derived from the patient’s perspective have been met with much less resistance and therefore have been easier to implement.

Learning Objectives: 

• Identify the benefits of patient feedback as a driver for process improvement.
• Understand the elements of an effective “Patient Feedback Focused Improvement program”
• Discuss workflow enhancements to increase quality, safety, and the patient experience

Presented by Bonnie Rush, RT(R)(M)(QM)
President, Breast Imaging strategies

In 1992 the FDA was tasked with developing the MQSA and by 1994 mammography service providers had to

meet the most stringent quality assurance/control program for any imaging modality. In 2019 the FDA began to review/update the entire MQSA with the goal of continuing to identify areas of improvement to increase the viability of our early detection services. Their review included analysis and responses to input open to all interested persons with a final document published early 2023. These changes – some more impacting than others - will be covered in this one credit presentation by the author of the Mammography Quality Standards Act Made Easy. Given these changes involve important processes in the imaging chain this program will enable our department to meet the mandates by the FDA implementation date of September 2024.

You will:
 • Acquire an understanding of the FDA updates
 • Recognize their value to the MQSA quality assurance program
 • Be able to implement the impacting density inform requirement
 • Learn to educate personnel, referring physicians and patients on the density inform mandate
 • Address assessment parameters for interpretive quality
 • Understand how to enhance your early detection service 
 • Feel capable of meeting the requirements in a timely manner

AHRA Member: free to members
Non-Member: $25.00
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