Radiology Admin Hospital and Health care Team

• A hospital is a self-contained community, providing care via various workers.
• Hospitals fulfill community needs.
• A hospital's mission statement explains its purpose and guides community service.
• All staff are committed to achieving this mission.
• Hospital directives and projects should support the mission.
• Hospital governance starts with a board of directors.
• The President/CEO is accountable to the board.
• Divisions/departments are accountable to the CEO.
• Radiologic Technology programs aim to prepare competent radiographers for public healthcare.
• Program administrators and faculty commit to high-quality education using innovative instruction and role modeling.
• Medical imaging plays a critical role in hospital operations and success.
• Medical Imaging works closely with other departments, providing patient care and revenue.

Subdepartments of Radiology (Modalities)

• Diagnostic Radiography
• Ultrasound
• Nuclear Medicine
• Position Emission Tomography (PET)
• Computed Tomography (CT)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Bone Densitometry (BD)
• Interventional Radiology (IR)

Healthcare Trends in Hospitals

• Organizational structure becoming more horizontal
• Reimbursement shifting from inpatient to outpatient services
• Strong emphasis on service utilization
• Declining reimbursements from government programs

Radiology Organization

• It varies in size and scope.
• Often divided into subdepartments- general imaging; CT; MR; medical sonography; breast imaging/women's health; and nuclear medicine/PET.
• Interventional Radiology is often within radiology or as a separate department.
• Led by an Administrative Director- someone with a strong business management background.
• Requires support services.
• An Administrative Director of Radiology typically reports to upper hospital administration and works closely with the Medical Director of Radiology.
• They possess strong business management skills.
• Certification may come from the Radiology Administration Certification Commission as a Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA).
• A Medical Director is typically a physician.
• The Principle responsibility is for overseeing the quality of patient care.
• They work closely with the Administrative Director.
• They may also serve as Department Chair.
• Responsible for quality-improvement activities and set standards.
• Radiologists interpret medical images and perform procedures.
• They are usually part of a group practice, potentially contractual or employed by a hospital.
• Often "Board Certified" by the American Board of Radiology (ABR)
• They may be a Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO)
• The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) is responsible for safe use of radiation and radioactive materials.
• An RSO is required if the organization uses radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals.
• Implements and monitors the department's radiation protection program.
• Typically a board-certified medical physicist
• The RSO may be a radiologist if a medical physicist isn't available.

Nontraditional Healthcare Settings

• Clinics
• Physician Offices
• Freestanding Imaging Centers
• Mobile Imaging Services
• Outpatient Surgery Centers
• Emergency/Urgent Care Centers
• Outpatient Surgical Centers
• Industry and Research
• Museums & Archeologic Facilities
• Interior of Aircrafts
• Veterinary Medicine
• Forensic Radiography

Management Functions

• Management evolves: directing and controlling employees shifts to leading, coaching, and supporting them.
• Important skills encompass communication and leadership with a focus on coaching.
• Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is an essential management function.
• Directing/Planning- Charting a course of action to achieve goals
• Organizing involves developing a framework
• Facilitation expedites progress with guidance
• Staffing entails assigning the right people
• Direction - Showing or Simulation
• Controlling involves establishing performance standards to measure progress and correct actions as needed.
• Coordinating ensures orderly group activity.
• Project Management focuses involves organizing resources for a specific project.
• Current trends stress ongoing service improvement.
• This is called continuous quality improvement (CQI), total quality management (TQM), or performance improvement (PI).
• Customer service and care value are the focus.
• Doing the right things right the first time, and meeting and exceeding customers' expectations.
• Quality-of-care experience is "patient-centric" and involves family.

Regulatory Agencies

• Can be internal or external to a healthcare organization, often governmental or committees:
• Joint Commission (JC) (PRIVATE)
• JCs develop safety policies and monitor hospitals on-site and are tied to reimbursement for services.
• State Health Departments (STATE)
• State Departments may require a Certificate of Need (CON).
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is FEDERAL.
• NRC is licensing body for equipment and technologists.

External Regulatory Agencies

• The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is FEDERAL.
• OSHA establishes workplace safety standards, handling hazardous materials and standard precautions.
• The ACR is PRIVATE- and offers accreditation, legislative, and research for radiology and imaging.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is FEDERAL.
• FDA ensures safety and efficacy for human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices.
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are a federal department.
• CMS is very powerful by controlling reimbursement for Medicare and Medicaid patients.
• CMS represents a large portion of patients in healthcare settings.
• Internal Regulatory Groups vary by hospital.
• Infection Control Committees oversee Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI).
• Radiation Safety Committees handle radioactive materials and safety issues.
• Safety Committees remove hazardous materials and identify medical errors.
• Risk Management/Corporate Compliance manages legal and financial risks.
• Picture Archive and Communications System (PACS) acquires, archives, interprets, and distributes digital images.
• Medical Imaging Management and Processing System (MIMPS) is PACS.
• MIMPs was newly renamed effective April 2021.

Legislation in Radiology

• Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) optimizes breast imaging quality.
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ensures patient privacy.
• False Claims Act (FCA) prevents medical billing fraud.
• Image Wisely/Image Gently are voluntary safety campaigns.
• Desirable employee characteristics include strong technical skills, critical thinking, and adaptability.
• One should possess excellent teamwork skills and be customer-service oriented.
• One needs good communication skills with patients, colleagues, and physicians, as well as good work ethic, integrity, and character.
• Professionals must maintain certification.
• Radiology administration is complex and demanding at many levels.
• Hospitals and providers are very customer and value-based.
• Professionals interact with external and internal regulatory agencies and committees.
• Medical imaging employees need strong technical and teamwork skills as imaging professionals.