A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
I want to thank everyone for another great year. Despite the complex pressures that COVID brought us, our department has accomplished a number of notable achievements, some of which are outlined in this issue of The Read . Thank you all for your ongoing commitment to the COVID-19 safety measures, which remain in effect at the hospital. Despite the drop in cases and hospitalizations, we must remain vigilant in keeping our patients and co-workers safe.
The imaging informatics team continues to be very busy, as illustrated by its continued success. Visage Mobile is ready to download for iOS. We continue to implement a web- based application for Android devices and integration with Haiku and Canto. I’m also excited by all the work being done by the Advanced Software Applications Workgroup (ASAW), which brings together leaders in NMIS with critical members of our clinical and research teams in Radiology. This workgroup will oversee all software applications (including AI algorithms) that are internally coded at NM/ FSM and are seeking deployment into either the research instance of Visage or the clinical (total production) instance of Visage. Match Day was Friday, March 18, 2022. We have seen record numbers of applicants to our residency programs again this year, and we anticipate another outstanding new class of incoming trainees. As current residents strive to complete another great year, I would like to commend everyone for their continued dedication and commitment. The first Resident Retreat happened on Friday, February 11, 2022. I want to congratulate Leah Gilligan and her team for organizing a unique and enjoyable event. And thanks to all the faculty, leadership team members, and staff who committed their time and made the retreat such a success. The Department of Radiology Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council has initiated several exciting projects this past year under the leadership of Dr. Senta Berggruen. On March 21, 2022, our department hosted Northwestern undergraduate students to introduce them to Radiology as a career option. The DEI Council also facilitated an online small-group work session titled: “How to Create an Inclusive Workplace” on March 29 at noon. Finally, on the heels of a successful Giving Tuesday fundraiser for Horizons for Youth, the DEI Council is planning a career event for high school students this spring. Horizons for Youth is a local non-profit providing educational opportunities for Chicago families in underserved communities, and we are proud to partner with them. Last year, Dr. Eric Hart became Clinical Director of the Northwestern Medicine Lung Cancer Screening Program. This system-wide program, under his leadership, continues to expand and provide a real benefit to our patients. On a recent note, Dr. Hart says that CMS will continue to change their lung cancer screening eligibility requirements by February 22, 2022. Thank you to Dr. Hart for all your work. With the support of the Feinberg Dean’s Office, the Department of Radiology has established the Research Imaging Collaboration Office (RICO) as a new resource for the centralized and efficient coordination of industry-sponsored studies that utilize Radiology’s imaging services. Run by our Research Operations team, this new service will significantly facilitate clinical research projects that use imaging. Effective January 15, 2022, all clinical studies utilizing Radiology services must contact the RICO team and operate the new dedicated study intake and review process. I want to commend Jessica Agosto, Senior Research Administrator, and Crystal Santillanes, Research Operations Manager, for creating RICO. I also want to encourage anyone interested in research to attend the Research Operations team’s Research Compliance Bootcamp Sessions. Spearheaded by Crystal Santillanes and our Regulatory Coordinator Yasmeen Khan, these one-hour sessions answer all your IRB compliance and contract questions. The last presentation took place on February 25, 2022. Contact Daniel Aviles in the Research Office for a Zoom link to future bootcamp sessions. Congratulations are in order for Dr. Daniel Kim, who has been awarded the Knight Family Professor of Cardiac Imaging at the Feinberg School of Medicine. This prestigious designation recognizes his commitment to cardiac imaging and his stature as a notable scientific innovator in the field. I also want to acknowledge the great work of Dr. Jeesoo Lee, who was recently appointed Research Assistant Professor. Many thanks go out to Dr. Gary Dillehay, who has served as the Chief of Nuclear Medicine for the last several years. We are grateful for his leadership of this section and wish him the very best as he prepares to retire next year. Thanks also to Dr. Ryan Avery, who has stepped in as Interim Chief of Nuclear Medicine as of December 2021. Dr. James Carr, Chair
Northwestern Radiology continues to lead the way in our specialty, and this is primarily due to the contributions of so many in our department.
Sincerely,
James Carr
THE READ
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