The placard project at Spectrum Health Systems is a unique methodology developed by George Vallillee, manager of Radiology Information Solutions, to improve the fidelity of the patient experience during a planned downtime or system disruption.  The project was proposed and initiated by Vallillee, and largely driven by teams whose input was mainly intellectual collateral, drawn from daily workflows, and drawn from the radiology system used throughout Spectrum. Since the rollout of the program, it has been tested and updated regularly to make further improvements in efficiency. Deemed a success by health system executives, the placard program has become a permanent part of Spectrum Health Systems communication plan. 

The continuity of business is vital in any setting but even more so in hospitals when patient encounters and care delivery may be interrupted. Considering the importance of the work that is carried out in healthcare facilities, developing continuity of business plans at all points of patient care is completely essential.

Many radiology groups have already committed to meaningful use (MU) of health IT to reap the financial benefits of utilizing electronic health records, but a high percentage remain on the sidelines. Some of the reluctance could be attributed to the belief that the cost will outweigh the benefit, but that disregards the fact that referring physicians who have attested will need to connect with specialty providers for phase 2 in order to continue complying with the program.

Neuroprogenitor cells, or brain stem cells, have the important task of looking after neuronal connections in the brain. Apparently, it all happens in the area that processes smell—the olfactory system, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced Oct. 10.

Challenging imaging artifacts in image guidance for interventional liver procedures such as those caused by biopsy needle could be ameliorated with an optical imaging technique called epifluorescence imaging, according to a study published Oct. 10 ahead of print in Radiology.

Due to manufacturing delays and shortage in supply, Ra-223, aka Xofigo, is currently not available, the FDA announced Oct. 7. Neither the FDA nor the drug’s maker, Bayer Healthcare, have released an estimated date for when supply of Ra-223 will be restored.

The pharmaceutical company Tetra Discovery Partners out of Grand Rapids, Mich., announced yesterday that investments have been locked in from Grand Angels and Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation and that official advisors have been chosen for the company’s board.

A new method of image reconstruction that synchronizes a preset phase of respiration using electrocardiography (ECG) and bioimpedance raises the image quality of PET usually degraded by breathing artifacts, the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) announced Oct. 10.