National Imaging Technologies Week 2022 – Each year in November, National Radiologic Technology Week is observed to honor the work done by medical imaging specialists across the country. The celebration that runs from the 6th to the 12th of November will highlight the crucial role of imaging technologists in the care of patients and ensure safety. National Imaging Technologies Week 2022

For 2022 HCA Healthcare is celebrating this day with the title Imaging Technologies Week to recognize the over 8,000 radiologic and different imaging technicians who “show us how” to take care of our patients medically, with compassion, compassion and commitment throughout their treatment journey. National Imaging Technologies Week 2022

Multi-Faceted, Integral Members of the Care Team

Medical imaging can be used to monitor, diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries and diseases, providing doctors with an exact picture of what’s taking place inside the body of a patient. Imaging technologists at our facility are medical experts who allow patients to “see” in diagnostic and treatment procedures.

The imaging technologists of HCA Healthcare practice in hospitals, clinics , and doctor offices, and in a variety of areas of clinical expertise including orthopedics, oncology and oncology. They are trained in anatomy and patient positioning, exam techniques, protocols for equipment radiation safety and the care of patients. National Imaging Technologies Week 2022

They are able to maintain the technical and clinical skills needed to assist in real-time guidance for surgery and tissue sampling as well as the acquisition of imaging for surveillance and screening for cancer and organ-specific evaluation of injuries sustained in traumatic accidents.

Imaging technologists are able to perform general radiography or specialize in a specific imaging technique for example:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• computed tomography (CT)
• mammography
• sonography
• bone densitometry
• cardiovascular or vascular interventional radiography
• nuclear medicine

They may specialize in a particular area, but usually they can be found in multiple areas. As team members whenever needed, particularly during the pandemic they rise to the occasion and improve the standard of patients’ care, wearing multiple roles and going beyond to help the team of caregivers. National Imaging Technologies Week 2022

The Development of an Imaging Technology Career that Focuses on Direct Patient Treatment

Lourdes Zamora R.T. (R)(CT)(MR) is an MRI technologist working in the radiology department of Rose Medical Center in Denver is an excellent illustration of an HCA Healthcare imaging colleague who has advanced her career within the company while keeping the focus of direct care for patients.

She started her career with Rose Medical Center 24 years ago, and was employed as an X-ray technician two years before an assessment as well as a discussion with the team of leaders that led her to train cross-training in the field of imaging technology. She continued to study and apply CT imaging over five years prior to moving to MRI which she has been a specialist in the past 17 years. National Imaging Technologies Week 2022

Although she is now spending most part of her day in MRI, Lourdes is versatile in the sense that she is able to assist when needed in other fields. Particularly in these times of staffing shortages across the industry Lourdes is willing to work as a team member and change according to the need.

At the peak of the coronavirus outbreak she offered her services for whatever was required, such as tasks within the ER and screening COVID-19 patients.

A group of Caregivers

Here at HCA Healthcare, we know how important it is to be part of a community and the power of connecting colleagues to achieve more impact. We’re leveraging that experience by connecting our colleges of imaging technology with more effective ways to leverage their collective knowledge and use it to benefit the patients within our company.

We’re introducing Knowledge Communities to connect leaders in imaging technology with their peers in sharing details on the best methods, protocols, and policies. Beginning with MRI managers, these groups will promote collaboration to support high-quality care for patients, a positive experience for colleagues and support for the care team. National Imaging Technologies Week 2022

We’ve learned that we can provide the highest quality healthcare when we utilize the most talented of our personnel and teams. In the ever-changing healthcare environment, it’s more crucial than ever to keep our focus on connecting not only with colleagues, but across all of our team of healthcare professionals. National Imaging Technologies Week 2022

This leads to better outcomes for patients as well as opportunities for colleagues, and competent, well-rounded leadership to lead HCA Healthcare.

The Dots are Connected: From an Imaging Technologist to Chief Operating Officer

With a keen understanding of the bigger view, John Gerhold has embraced the concept of connectivity throughout his path to his current position acting as the chief operating officer for HCA Florida North Florida Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. Gerhold began working as an image technologist, and utilized his experience to enhance hospital operations across all hospital facilities.

As the director of radiology at the HCA Health Care’s Lakeview Regional Medical Center, located within Tulane Medical Center, John was a member of the steering committee for medical actions that drafted Radiation Right, which is a standard for policies on imaging, certificates and much more.

John’s ability to see the bigger picture and implement tangible improvements to the department of radiology allowed him to find a way to grow within that position, eventually becoming the director of women’s imaging as well as central scheduling and rehabilitation services as well as food and nutrition…and eventually , assistant administrator of the Covington Louisiana-based hospital. National Imaging Technologies Week 2022

While working at Lakeview Regional Medical Center, John was asked to be a part of the HCA Healthcare’s Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) which was established in 2010 to improve patient experience. Being the IHI champion, John partnered with the IHI team to analyze the quality of patient experiences at 50 hospitals and devise strategies to improve the quality of patient experiences across departments. National Imaging Technologies Week 2022

In this way the mindset of John changed from a radiology perspective to assisting in solving problems in all departments. He was instrumental in earning Lakeview the top spot. 2 position on the list of top hospitals within the IHI group, and broadened his ideas on how a path to success might take.