KU Radiology - Alumni Newsletter Issue 3

ISSUE KU Radiology

03

MAR

2015

KU Faculty this issue

Philip Johnson, MD Letter from the Chairman P.1
Chairman Clinical Advances P.2

Ryan Ash, MD Update on Research P.3
Vice Chairman Imaging in the Ozarks P.4
Medical Director Update on Alumni Events P.5
Update on Education P.6
Judson Bertsch, MD
Update on Faculty P.7
Kevin Brown, MD
Letter from the Chairman
Zachary Collins, MD
Interventional Section Head “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all
hang separately” - Ben Franklin
Glendon Cox, MD
There are major forces causing substantial upheaval in Philip Johnson, MD, Chairman
Joy Darrah, MD health care. The Affordable Care Act, economic pressure, and
market consolidation are causing a transformation in the way department. Our academic space has been relocated from the
Reginald Dusing, MD health care is delivered. With a major focus on improved quality hospital to the 3rd Floor of the Delp Building. This major
Nuclear Medicine Section Head and reduced cost and a desired shift by payers from fee-for- renovation in Delp is nearing completion and we anticipate
service to population health management, many health care moving into the new area in mid-April. We plan to have an open
Brian Everist, MD organizations are re-examining their structure and the way they house for the new space and hope that many of you will be able
operate. Clinical integration between hospitals and physicians is to join us. The new space will provide us a state of the art
Thomas Fahrbach, MD a prevailing trend among many academic medical centers. environment to support our missions of education and research.
What is clinical integration? There are probably many In addition, the south side of the Radiology Department is
Shelby Fishback, MD definitions and versions, but the AMA defines clinical integration undergoing a major renovation and should be complete in late
Residency Program Director as “the means to facilitate the coordination of patient care summer or early fall.
across conditions, providers, settings, and time in order to
Jason Gatewood, MD achieve care that is safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable Despite the challenges we face in health care, our faculty,
and patient focused.” Over the past two years, the University of residents and fellows, and staff remain committed to providing
Crosby Gernon, MD Kansas Physicians, KU Hospital and the University of Kansas outstanding patient-centered care, teaching, conducting
have embarked on a new health system and partnership model research and mentoring future leaders. I am thankful for the
Jacqueline Hill, MPH, CHES consistent with clinical integration. Our core values around opportunity to work with such a talented and dedicated group of
Director of Research patient-centered care, education and research remain individuals. I invite your thoughts, comments and/or
immutable, but we recognize the pressing need to adapt or risk suggestions and hope to see many of you in the near future, as
Gary Hinson, MD extinction. the KU department of radiology needs your ongoing active
Musculoskeletal Section Head support.
It has been a very successful and productive year for our
Marc Inciardi, MD department. On November 18, 2014, we had an investiture
Breast Imaging Section Head ceremony and reception honoring Kirk Miller, who is the first
recipient of the Norman L. Martin Distinguished Teaching
Neville Irani, MD Professorship in Radiology. This Professorship along with the
Director of Quality Arch W. Templeton Distinguished Professorship in Radiology
enable us to fund education and research activities within our
John Leever, MD

Steven Lemons, MD

John Madarang, MD

Bradford McCrary, MD

Lucas Meek, MD
Cardiothoracic Section Head

Kirk Miller, DO
Pediatric Section Head

Douglas Nelson, MD

Mark Perry, MD
Oncology Section Head

Kristen Pope, MD

Mark Redick, MD
Alan Reeves, MD

Neuroradiology Section Head

Stanton Rosenthal, MD
Ultrasound Section Head

Pauline Sleder, MD

John Vadaparampil, MD
Louis Wetzel, MD

Body Imaging Section Head
Onalisa Winblad, MD

Wendell Yap, MD

Clinical Operations Laying the Foundation for Performance
Update
Improvement
Ryan Ash, MD, Medical Director,
Class of 2010 Neville Irani, MD

As the Kansas University The past year in healthcare witnessed significant shifts in provided after interpretation. This paradigm asserts
Medical Center continues to the perceived viability of a reimbursement system tied to radiologists’ crucial role in patient care in order to lead the
grow, so does the Department outcomes. A number of national initiatives demonstrated transformation of America’s health care delivery. [JACR, Dec
of Radiology. With this growth, sustained success over the past three years. Medicare 2014] Indeed, the two December 2014 issues of the JACR
we also continue to reshape the attributes at least $400 million in savings directly to these were dedicated entirely to performance & quality improvement
department both in the physical initiatives.[Bloomberg Businessweek, 1/26/2015] The savings as well as information technologies. These will form the
layout as well as in different are in large part, payment ‘adjustments’ to hospitals for a foundation for accomplishing the objectives of Imaging 3.0.
subspecialties. variety of quality measures. One of these is the readmission
rate based upon the acuity of care. This program, now in its In our own department, we have started moving our
We now have 32 third year, has impacted nearly all hospitals in the KC metro radiology specific systems to enterprise-wide platforms. In
radiologists managing 10 area. The trend for some hospitals, such as KU Medical Center 2014 we migrated the image archiving part of our PACS away
subspecialties, with 2 more is headed in the right direction with lower payment losses this from GE specific hardware onto a hospital level storage
radiologists starting this year compared to the previous two. Some hospitals however, solution that is shared with Cardiology and another smaller
summer. Our fellowships have with less robust performance improvement programs will PACS system. In the process, we have taken the opportunity
now expanded to include actually be experiencing increasing losses. to engage with key leaders in hospital IT to coordinate
interventional, breast, body, expectations regarding system performance and dialog on the
musculoskeletal, and Another trend pointing to a curtain on fee-for-service benefits of implementing an enterprise wide Clinical Image
neuroradiology. We continue to healthcare is the growth of Accountable Care Organizations Archive (VNA in the radiology vernacular). This coincides with
provide 24/7 staff coverage, a (ACOs). These organizations, which are defined as “provider- priorities supported by referring colleagues who have
service we have provided since led entities,” are predicted by a number of healthcare experts expressed frustration about not having access to the full
2007. to become the primary vehicle to drive improvement in spectrum of imaging that comprises a patient’s secondary
healthcare. We can think of ACOs as Managed Care v 3.0 - medical record: Ob/Gyn Ultrasound, Echocardiograms,
We have also expanded to the critical difference from the prior two versions is ACOs photographs, POC Ultrasound, laproscopic images, and
11 locations, including 2 provide a mechanism that engages providers as direct Endoscopic findings are common examples. In preparation for
locations in Missouri, with 11 CT beneficiaries of the improvements in care delivery. The number this transition, we are also leading an effort to develop practice
scanners, 8 MRI scanners, and of lives covered by ACOs reached 20 million in mid-2014 and standards with respect to duration of image storage and image
4 PET/CT scanners. This has is set to cross over 40 million by the end of 2015, with much of life cycle management (sometimes referred to as ILM). By
helped us to grow from this coming in the private sector. [Leavitt Partners, June 2014 doing so we will fully leverage the capabilities of this paradigm
performing 160,000 exams per & Parks Associates, July 2014] This is remarkable growth and abate the continuously mushrooming storage
year ten years ago to more than considering that in 2012 the number stood at less than 10 requirements that plague large enterprises with electronic
320,000 per year currently. million. In light of such developments, CMS announced on records. A vendor selection for this solution could occur in late
January 26 an increase in the proportion of payments tied to 2015 or early 2016.
Our most recent endeavor quality / outcomes-based metrics from 20% to 30% in 2016 Our RIS, too, will no longer be a standalone system, and
is the expansion of our with a subsequent increase to 50% by 2018. instead be incorporated into the larger EMR as EPIC’s 2014
interventional department, which version of Radiant. The design and build of this module started
we are expecting to complete In considering the impact of these trends on Radiology, last September and we will be providing end user input for
within the year. This growth in the leadership of the ACR proposed the Imaging 3.0 initiative modifications and adaptation during the validation sessions to
personnel, workload, space and in 2013. This initiative came at a time when many departments be held over the next few months. Go-Live is scheduled for
equipment all helps fuel our were still dealing with the fallout of Imaging 2.0, the volume- October 2015.
overall mission of superlative focused value-stream. This emphasis left us with a In the realm of departmental performance improvement we are
patient care and education. department-focused, amalgamated IT system of viewers, voice setting up for significant resource investment to coordinate
dictation, image archiving, and various enhanced visualization strategy, provide vision, education and leadership in order to
tools bolted on along the way. From a patient-outcomes ultimately develop the culture necessary to sustain any
focused perspective this has left us with an underperforming improvement beyond when a project champion steps away. An
value chain with variable levels of frustration for our referring important part of this investment is to triage resource allocation
colleagues, patients, payors, and to some degree, even to avoid project fatigue, prioritizing multi-disciplinary initiatives
radiologists. The Imaging 3.0 initiative revises the radiology that could result in stronger relationships with referring
value-stream map to start with consideration of ordering an specialties.
imaging exam, progress through all of imaging 2.0, and extend
responsibility to ensure that appropriate follow-up care is Continued on pg.7

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Update in Research

Jacque Hill, CHES, Director of Research

Since our last newsletter in August 2014, our research efforts have continued to expand with ten original scientific abstracts accepted at professional meetings, including

three oral and eight poster presentations:

x McCann, Creed, Burns, Vidoni, Welch, Perry. (Jan 2015). Patterns of Amyloid Plaque Deposition on AV-45 Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography
(PET/CT) Scans. Human Amyloid Imaging Conference, Miami, FL.

x Creed, McCann, Burns, Vidoni, Welch, Perry. (Jan 2015). Determining Total Amyloid Plaque Burden in AV-45 Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography
(PET/CT) Scans. Human Amyloid Imaging Conference, Miami, FL.

x Maertins, Kovaleski, Myers, Peterson, Collins, Fahrbach, Hill, Johnson. (Feb 2015). Surgical Outcomes in Cirrhotic Patients who Underwent Transjugular Intrahepatic
Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) prior to Liver Transplant. International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy, Miami, FL.

x Kovaleski, Maertins, Myers, Peterson, Collins, Fahrbach, Hill, Johnson. (Feb 2015). The Effect of Underwent Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)
Placement on Outcomes in Cirrhotic Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery. International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy, Miami, FL.

x Irani, Hill, Swinehart, Cooper, Robinson, Smith, Gatewood, Redick, Winblad, Inciardi. (Feb 2015). Breast Imaging Performance Improvement Initiative: How Minor
Changes in Diagnostic Mammography Workflow and Appointment Scheduling Can Decrease Appointment Length and Improve Patient Satisfaction. American College
of Radiology (ACR) Annual Quality Meeting, Phoenix, AZ.

x Swinehart, Irani, Hill, Cooper, Robinson, Smith, Gatewood, Redick, Winblad, Inciardi. (Feb 2015). Breast Imaging Performance Improvement Initiative: Making the
Most Out of Job Task Analyses with Innovative Interviewing. American College of Radiology (ACR) Annual Quality Meeting, Phoenix, AZ.

x Hill, Swinehart, Irani, Cooper, Robinson, Smith, Gatewood, Redick, Winblad, Inciardi. (Feb 2015). Breast Imaging Performance Improvement Initiative: Using
Innovative Survey Tools to Engage Patients in Process and Satisfaction Improvements. American College of Radiology (ACR) Annual Quality Meeting, Phoenix, AZ.

x Morgan, Smith, Robinson, Schroeppel DeBacker, Werth, Brown, James, Hill, Collins. (Mar 2015). Differences in Radiation Dose of Glass versus Resin Embolization
Beads. Society of Interventional Radiology, Atlanta, GA.

x James, Morgan, Robinson, Smith, Werth, Brown, Hill, DeBacker, Collins. (May 2015). Survival Outcomes of Patients with Liver Disease following Treatment with
Glass- versus Resin-Based Yttrium-90 (Y-90) Radioembolization. World Conference on Interventional Oncology, New York, NY.

x Morgan, Robinson, James, DeBacker, Smith, Werth, Brown, Hill, Collins. (May 2015). Survival Differences in Glass versus Resin Radioembolization of Hepatic
Malignancies. World Conference on Interventional Oncology, New York, NY.

Additionally, we are developing nine original research abstract submissions to the 2015 Radiology Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting, as well as currently drafting

three scientific manuscripts with another four planned for the near future. Numerous other research projects are currently in development and collecting data in preparation for

analysis. We are looking forward to sharing our findings from these projects in the near future through additional presentations and publications.

Support for research in the Radiology Department continues to grow. We have participating in numerous projects over the last year.
established formalized research curriculum for all residents and fellows, which Finally, we are developing a new business leadership curriculum, to be
includes attendance at the Introduction to Clinical Research course, “How To” Guides
for drafting research protocols, scientific abstracts, and scientific manuscripts, and implemented July 2015, to provide training to departmental trainees and faculty on
mentored facilitation of one journal club annually. non-clinical competencies in the following five domains:

We are expanding our research education efforts to actively support medical • Legal/Regulatory
students who are interested in Radiology by sponsoring annual Population Health in • Business Strategy/Finance
Practice (formerly known as Health of the Public) projects. We have also continued to • Leadership/Mentorship
actively integrate medical students into mentored research roles, with over 30 students • Quality Improvement
• Professionalism

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*Featuring special guest speaker, Jonathan Morris, MD, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN

Sponsored by the University of Kansas Department of Radiology and University of Kansas Medical Center Continuing Education & Professional Development

KU Radiology Alumni Weekend – SAVE THE DATE, Registration Open Soon

Friday and Saturday, July 10-11, 2015

Plaza Marriott

(4445 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111)

Friday, 7:00-9:00PM, Plaza Marriott: Evening Casino Social, including cocktails and hors d’oeuvres

Saturday, 8:00-11:30AM, Plaza Marriott: CME conference; 3 CME credits

Saturday, Noon-evening, The K: Royals Stadium: Royals vs. Blue Jays; in the luxury suite

(Bus transportation provided to and from the game)

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Exceptional Alumnus Alumni Event Update

Peter Ronai, MD, PhD, Class of 1979 Kirk Miller, DO, Class of 2007
A Brief Memoir
Good conversation, cocktails, and
I received most of my education in Australia. After graduating from the University of Sydney delicious maki sushi were the order
in 1962 with Science and Medical degrees, I served a rotating internship at the Royal Prince of the evening at the most recent KU
Alfred Hospital (the principal teaching hospital for the University of Sydney Medical School), Radiology alumni event. This past
and then commenced a Nuclear Medicine residency at the hospital and the university’s December, the department hosted its
Department of Medicine. Concurrently with this I began a PhD in the Departments of Medicine second reception for KU Radiology
and Pathology, which included a one-year fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley alumni at the annual RSNA convention
and Lawrence Radiation Laboratory. Returning to Sydney, I completed my Nuclear Medicine residency and PhD (in in Chicago, IL. The event was held at
experimental immunology and radiation biology) in 1967. the award winning contemporary
Japanese restaurant Japonais by
Then, after a three-month Winston Churchill Fellowship visiting the principal Nuclear Medicine Centers in the USA and Morimoto (yes, by the way, Iron Chef
Canada, I was appointed Director of Nuclear Medicine at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Adelaide, South Australia, in a brand- Masaharu Moritmoto is the proprietor of
new Nuclear Medicine department with state-of-the-art equipment. I worked there for eight years, during which I took 3-month the establishment). Many current KU
sabbaticals every 2-3 years to study Nuclear Medicine advances in North America. (In 1969, while in Adelaide, I remember Radiology staff and resident/fellows
taking a portable TV in to the Department so all the staff could watch Neil Armstrong and Ed Aldrin walk on the moon.) were on hand to welcome alumni who
have graduated from our program over
It was during one of my sabbaticals in the USA that I was privileged to work in Berkeley with Hal Anger, the inventor of the span of the last four decades. If you
the Anger Gamma Scintillation Camera, Anger Positron Camera, and High-Energy Whole Body Scanner. This resulted in my were at RSNA and were unable to
publishing the first clinical positron image studies (of bone scans using Fluorine-18) and the first high-energy whole body attend, we're sorry that we missed you
scans (of bone marrow distribution using Iron-59). and hope that you can join us next year.
Please look for postcards and email
When I returned to Adelaide, we started doing Fluorine-18 positron imaging on one of our two scintillation cameras, at a notifications later in the year
time when Henry Wagner, Jr., doyen of American Nuclear Medicine in Baltimore, was still swearing exclusive allegiance to the announcing the time and location of
old rectilinear scanner. next year's event.

During a subsequent sabbatical in the USA I was recruited by the University of Colorado Medical School in Denver as Looking to the year ahead, the
Chief of Nuclear Medicine at the university’s Colorado General Hospital and the Denver VA Hospital, so I moved with my wife department will be hosting its third
and four children to Denver. As part of my duties, I attended clinical imaging conferences, and became so taken with annual KU Radiology Alumni Weekend
radiological imaging modalities other than Nuclear Medicine, that I decided in 1977 to return to “school” and take a radiology this coming July 10 and 11th. The
residency. The Chairman of Radiology at KUMC at the time, Arch Templeton, was very kind and opened up an extra weekend will kick-off with a welcome
residency slot for me. At this point, with a wife and four kids to support, I was most grateful that Arch was also able to raise a reception on Friday evening July 10th at
little extra money for me in exchange for my Nuclear Medicine contributions to the teaching program. the Marriott on the Country Club Plaza
featuring hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and
On completion of my resident training, Arch Templeton invited me to join the faculty, but the Kansas climate was too a few fun amusements which will not
severe for me, and I was very anxious to get back west of the Rockies, where the climate was more tolerable for this family of only be entertaining but also help
former Australians. (Remember, at that time the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at KUMC was housed in a temporary support the Norman L. Martin, MD
building without air conditioning!) Distinguished Teaching Professorship.
Saturday morning will feature a short,
Accordingly, I interviewed for a number of academic positions elsewhere with the aim of practicing Diagnostic Radiology three hour continuing medical education
and Nuclear Medicine, but what search committees saw in me was an experienced Nuclear Medicine person, but a very green course featuring staff and alumni from
radiologist. As a result, they all wanted me to do just Nuclear Medicine. That was not why I had trained as a radiologist. the department. Following this event in
Serendipitously, at the annual Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting in Dallas, Texas, I encountered the Chief Nuclear the afternoon, we will head out to cheer
Medicine tech. from Salem Memorial Hospital in Salem, Oregon. He was pinning a “Wanted” poster on the “Available Jobs” on our American League Champion
notice board at the conference seeking a Radiologist/Nuclear Medicine physician for the radiology group in Salem. That was Kansas City Royals as they take on the
the beginning of a long and happy love affair with Salem for my family and me. Toronto Blue Jays from our own private
suite at Kauffman Stadium.
Salem Memorial Hospital is not a teaching hospital, so I volunteered for a number of years as visiting lecturer at OHSU Transportation to and from the game
(Oregon Health Sciences University) in Portland and Portland VA Hospital, teaching Nuclear Medicine to the radiology will be provided. As you make your
residents, until I got too busy as Chairman of Radiology at Salem Memorial Hospital to continue my trips to Portland. plans for the summer, please don't
forget to include us. We plan on having
Since finishing my residency at KUMC I have acknowledged my indebtedness to Arch Templeton by establishing, in a great time and it's a weekend you will
honor of Arch, the “Chief’s Conference Award” (by the way, I never sought to have it named after me). The award is given for not want to miss.
outstanding performance at the weekly Chief’s Conference for the KUMC radiology residents.
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I retired at the end of 1997 at the age of 60 in order to look after my wife, who was engaged in an epic battle with ovarian
cancer, which would last for 17 years. She died in 2011, and the day after she died I discovered I had Non-Hodgkins
Lymphoma. However, life goes on, and I have a provision in my will for the Chief’s Conference Award to continue after I “fall
off the twig.”

Neurointerventional Update on Education
Radiology Gains
Ground at KU Shelby Fishback, MD, Program Director, Class of 2010

Alan Reeves, MD, x Our first ‘Emergency Radiology Bootcamp’ week-long lecture series took place in January with our emergency
Neuroradiology Fellowship radiologists, John Vadaparampil and Brad McCrary, both Class of 2007, giving high yield emergency radiology
Program Director lectures with a focus on call readiness.

The Interventional x We recently started an exciting new integrated lecture series with our partners in Pathology. This joint ‘Rad/Path’
Neuroradiology section of IR has series is attended by both radiology and pathology residents with staff facilitators in both disciplines. Organ systems
seen continued advancement. A covered include Breast, Musculoskeletal and Hepatobiliary. All are welcome to attend!
multi-disciplinary approach
involving physicians from x We just concluded our first ACR In-Training Exam (ITE) review series and incorporated an audience response system
Radiology, Neurosurgery, and (ARS) to monitor resident performance and provide feedback.
Neurology has now become our
standard of practice. We have New Elective Experience: Consult Block
found this adds value to patient
care from each unique This new elective allows for dedicated time for senior residents to provide radiology consultation to internal medicine
background. services. During the four-week elective, the radiology resident rotates with selected internal medicine inpatient and consult
services. Senior residents have the opportunity to directly interact with referring teams, adding scholarship to both the
The NIR section at KU has radiology and internal medicine residency programs. In addition, important radiology concepts are discussed such as
become a national leader in radiation dose reduction and appropriate image utilization.
interventional stroke therapy.
We were among the first in the Resident Highlight New Program Coordinator
nation to achieve the Certified
Stroke Center designation, an Nick Harn, MD, PhD, Class of 2017 Sarah M. Hartman
arduous task which hinges on
NIR availability. Our section x Junior Chief Resident 2015-2016, x Joined the Program
provides 24/7 interventional interested in neuroradiology June 2014
stroke therapy with the latest
devices. x PhD 2005, KU Pharmaceutical x BS in Communications
Chemistry 2001-2005 from K State
We also continue to be a
leader in endovascular aneurysm x Senior Scientist II, 2005-2008, x Lived in Uganda for two
treatment. This field has seen MedImmune/AstraZeneca, formulation years (Yes, she’s
tremendous advances in development of vaccines & eaten grasshoppers!)
technology over the last several therapeutic antibodies with
years. In addition to being a site management of junior staff x Fundraiser for aid to
sought by industry for new- Uganda’s refugee
product trials, we were only the x Accepted to 2014 ITAR, introduction to academic radiology population
6th site in the nation to implant a training course at RSNA
new device for flow-diversion x Passions are food, estate sales and Craigslist
aneurysm treatment. x Married (Heidi) with 2 young kids (Jenna, 4 & Joe , 3) x Volunteer with Junior High Students
x Burnt out right shoulder limiting his ascent to the major leagues x Married (Mick) who does all the cooking, with a
A growing area of treatment x Failing hipster
is radio-frequency ablation of dog (Shadow)
spine tumors. This is a
challenging area to treat, but our Interventional Radiology Growth and Renovation
section has progressively pushed
the limits of this emerging Zachary Collins, MD, Class of 2008
technology. This can provide
great pain-relief for otherwise The IR department continues to flourish with increased volumes, departmental expansion and new cases. Direct comparison of
difficult to treat lesions. case volume of fiscal year 2013 to 2014 shows an annual volume of 10,014 in 2013 to 12,028 in 2014, an increase of 20%. 2015 is
on track to be our busiest year yet.

We are currently undergoing a multimillion dollar renovation which will build 23 brand new, semi-private pre/post procedure
recovery bays. We are also remodeling the core of IR and shifting reading rooms. With this renovation, a new CT fluoroscopy
machine will be built where the old ultrasound procedure room was. The renovation is slated to be fully operational by August 2015.

New cases and techniques are contributing to growth in IR. Tenex, an ultrasound device used for plantar fascitis, and other
related conditions has been successfully used with great results. Sphenocath, a small humble catheter for treating migraine
headaches, has helped scores of patients with intractable headaches. Meanwhile, interventional oncology, with various its various
techniques, continues to expand its role. A new device called the Nanoknife was just approved, this utilizes irreversible
electroporation, high voltage, to induce cellular permeability and ultimately cellular death. It is a great option for people with
inoperable tumors, such as pancreatic head masses.

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Laying the Foundation for Performance Improvement Continued from pg. 2

Last year was arguably one of our first undertakings in this regard at the outcomes through coordinated multi-specialty initiatives will enable radiologists to
Westwood Breast Imaging Center. In planning the initiative, we had to identify a lead the way in a pay for performance system that is fast approaching.
metric that correlated with the objective we were seeking which was to improve
patient satisfaction. National data has repeatedly shown patient satisfaction to be Figure 1
linked to time spent waiting in the department. The measured metric therefore,
throughout the course of the initiative was total patient time in our department for Faculty Spotlight
mammography. We reduced the maximum times in department from 239 minutes
to 119 minutes through a series of sequential workflow standardizations (figure 1). Kirk Miller, DO, Class of 2007
Ultimately the initiative included administrative, IT, registration, research, referring
providers, technical, and physician staff to ensure each change implemented had Norman Martin Endowed Professor for Medical Education
the intended effect. The project results and our experience was presented at the Due to his fond memories of growing up in this region, Kirk Miller decided
ACR Quality and Safety Conference on Feb 13th in Phoenix, AZ. to return to the Midwest after completing college to pursue his medical
education at the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
A larger performance improvement team is being formed to engage the many graduating salutatorian of the class of 2002. Kirk completed his residency in
opportunities we have to realize better patient outcomes as well as improve diagnostic radiology at the University of Kansas, graduating and joining the
efficiencies in our departmental operations. Our first intra-departmental initiative in faculty of the department in 2007 as a member of the body imaging division and
this regard should start in the next two months to improve the feedback our section chief of pediatric imaging.
radiologists get with respect to patient outcomes following exam interpretation. We
will be attempting to operationalize as much of the consensus oriented group During his time here in the department, Kirk has established a dynamic
review framework as practical [JACR, 11 (2): Feb 2014, 131-138]. clinical practice devoting his time to body imaging, nuclear medicine, and
pediatric fluoroscopy. In addition to his clinical duties, he has been active in
By the time of our next newsletter, we should have an update on the administration and education taking on the roles of staff scheduler, director of
progress of our inter-departmental initiatives. The realization of better patient medical student education, assistant director of alumni relations, and director of
continuing medical education for the department. Since becoming involved in
Researcher Spotlight these areas, Kirk has overseen a complete revamping of the radiology medical
student clerkship curriculum, expansion of the department's presence in the pre-
Mark Perry, MD clinical curriculum at the medical school, the creation of a new medical student
externship for senior medical students interested in radiology, and has acted as
Over the past year, Dr. Perry has actively expanded his research portfolio course director for three continuing medical education conferences hosted by
the department over the last two years. In recognition of these efforts, Kirk was
F a c u l ty S p o t l i g h tthrough involvement in research studies with Neurology and Radiation selected to receive the Norman L. Martin Distinguished Teaching Professorship
Oncology Departments at KUMC. In particular, he has demonstrated the value in Radiology this past November.
of radiologists actively collaborating on research to advance diagnostic and
treatment decisions for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and head and neck
cancer.
His recent research efforts have focused on the utility of adding quantitative
analyses to visual assessment of amyloid plaque deposits in the brain using
florbetapir F-18 (AV-45). Future efforts are focusing on further investigating the
role of quantitative analyses with tau ligand imaging in Alzheimer’s disease, as
well as quantitative parameters on PET imaging to assist clinician in making
treatment decisions in patients with head and neck cancer.

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Resident & Faculty in the News

Reprint from Advances Magazine

We want to
know where
you are now!

Recently married? New
child? New promotion? New
publication?

Let us know!

Dept of Radiology
3901 Rainbow Blvd
MS 4032
Kansas City, KS 66160
(913) 588-5887
[email protected]

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KU Radiology Issue 03 Mar 2015