Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld one of the last major legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), ruling by a 6-3 vote that the federal government has the power to provide tax credits for individuals to purchase health insurance under the law.
The widely anticipated ruling removes one of the last legal barriers to the ACA. While many radiology professionals have been skeptical of the legislation, some view the uncertainty that would have been created by a negative Supreme Court ruling as even worse. Read our coverage by clicking here.
Kwiatkowski speaks, ARRT responds
One of the most shocking stories in radiology (or all of healthcare, for that matter) in recent years has been that of David Kwiatkowski, the traveling radiologic technologist (RT) who infected dozens of people with hepatitis C by stealing fentanyl from medical facilities where he worked. Kwiatkowski was sentenced to 39 years in prison in 2013, but he has only now revealed how he got away with diverting drugs without detection for so many years, in an article published last week in Newsweek.
Kwiatkowski tells a tale of a healthcare system rife with medical personnel who are diverting drugs, and where controls on powerful narcotics are shockingly lax. What's more, the lack of any nationwide reporting and enforcement system for problematic healthcare personnel enabled him to find new traveling jobs repeatedly, often within days of being fired. Read more by clicking here.
The article painted an unflattering portrait of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), the group charged with certifying RTs around the U.S. The story charged that ARRT took no disciplinary action against Kwiatkowski, even after receiving a report of his termination from one job. But that contention fundamentally misstates the actual role of ARRT, according to a Second Opinion article by the group that rebuts a number of charges in the Newsweek story. Get the rest of the story by clicking here.
Do patients really want radiologist interaction?
Imaging specialists are being told that their survival depends on improving their value in the healthcare delivery chain by raising their profile with patients. But questions are beginning to emerge about whether this is a good idea, according to a new column by Dr. Sam Friedman, aka Doctor Dalai.
There are a number of factors that would complicate any effort by radiologists to get closer to patients. Not the least of which is the fact that referring physicians stand in the way, and are likely to look skeptically on any attempt to horn in on their relationship with patients.
Dr. Friedman has his own prescription for how radiologists can enhance their value in healthcare -- find out what it is by clicking here.
