To the surprise of absolutely no one, artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning technologies were the talk of RSNA 2017 in Chicago. More than 70 sessions were devoted to AI, and you couldn’t walk ten feet without reading or hearing the words “machine learning” or “algorithm.” 

University of California San Francisco Medical Center has a long history of setting the standards in breast imaging and breast cancer care. Now it’s also setting the standard when it comes to reading and managing digital breast images and facilitating workflow efficiency.

As imaging leaders work to help their practices move from volume-based care to value-based care, they often find themselves asking the same key questions. How can I improve workflow? How do I ensure everyone has the information they need? Laurie Bergeron is a product manager for workflow solutions at Change Healthcare who develops solutions that help health systems transition to value-based care. She sat down and answered several questions about this important topic.

Daniel R. Gale, MD, and M. Elon Gale, MD, both worked in academics before they began working at Lowell General Hospital (LGH), a nonprofit community hospital in Lowell, Mass. And while the brothers both enjoyed their new practice, there was one thing they missed from the days of working with trainees: reviewing and interpreting each exam with a fellow with post-graduate training.

Hurricane Harvey, one of the most devastating storms in U.S. history, hit Texas in August 2017, leaving entire neighborhoods underwater and doing billions of dollars in damage. On Friday, August 25, the storm was heading straight for the coastal city of Corpus Christi, Texas, until weather patterns shifted at the last minute.

In healthcare, as in life, relationships evolve over time. Take, for instance, Atlantic Radiology Associates (ARA) in Savannah, Ga., a 12-radiologist group serving hospitals throughout Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. ARA first started working with vRad, the country’s largest teleradiology provider, back in 2007, with vRad handling preliminary weekend and overnight reads for one of the group’s busiest hospitals.

No world-class radiology residency program ever attained its excellence without securing and sustaining department-wide buy-in on the criticality of teaching the next generation of radiologists. Clinical care and research don’t need to be de-emphasized in any way, but every faculty member in the department must be committed to teaching while sincerely appreciating the value of the residency program in ensuring the present and future health of the profession.

A lot of conversations about value in radiology revolve around patients. How can specialists and their practices keep patients happy? What will make them the most comfortable? These are important things to ask, of course, but a recent article published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology is a reminder that demonstrating value to referring physicians is also absolutely crucial.