Dear AuntMinnie Member,
CHICAGO - It's no fun getting older. Sure, the excitement of a party is always great, but when the candles are blown out and the confetti is swept up, you're left facing the reality of another year closer to the inevitable.
Medical specialties aren't people, but you can draw some parallels. As this year's 100th edition of the RSNA conference winds down, radiology finds itself facing something of a midlife crisis. The glory days have been great, but as it moves into its second century, the discipline seems to have creaky joints and aching limbs.
But with advancing age comes another trait: wisdom. Radiology has much to offer the rest of healthcare as it plunges into the new age of interconnected, informatics-based medicine. In fact, there were a number of presentations at RSNA 2014 hinting at the growing role of radiology as the hub in an enterprise-based data storage strategy that includes not only medical images but also visible light images, documents, and practically any other type of data you can imagine.
Radiologists are also recognizing that they need to adapt to the changing world around them. They are being pushed to raise their visibility before patients, peers, and politicians, and while some have been resistant, others are coming around.
To stay relevant in the years ahead, radiology will have to embrace change while retaining the core characteristics that have made the specialty unique: a relentless focus on innovation and a dedication to excellence.
That need for change is the topic of one of our RSNA 2014 video segments with Dr. Cynthia Sherry, chief medical officer of the American College of Radiology's Radiology Leadership Institute. You can view the video by clicking here.
PACSman awards
One of our favorite RSNA traditions are the annual PACSman awards, served up with the sardonic wit of PACS consultant Michael J. Cannavo. Mike takes a look at the absurd and the admirable at this year's meeting in an article you can read by clicking here, and also be sure to watch our video segment of him.
We hope you've enjoyed our RADCast @ RSNA coverage from McCormick Place this week, and we look forward to seeing you again in Chicago for RSNA 2015!
