R E F L E C T I O N S

SUMMER 2004

**[24^th^. National IHS MIP conference]{.underline}**

Four Points Sheraton at Metro-Center, Phoenix, AZ was host property for
the event. Conference covered a wide variety of subjects. Cheryl
Provost, RN Customer Education Manager for Tyco-Mallinckrodt "Creating a
Motivated & Energetic Workplace" with how to have fun at work featuring
the Fish Market in downtown Seattle, WA was a big hit with the group.
First day attendance was 75 people. ASRT approved 18.5 CE hours.

[Technologists of the year Awards]{.underline}: from ABD area Rapid
City, SD Tim Colombe, Lead Tech. and Debra Meyers, Mammo. & US. ABQ area
Dulce, NM Theresa Alonzo, Staff. BEM area Red Lake, MN, Jamie Olsen,
Staff, Mammo. & QA. NAV area Crownpoint, NM Kenny Tso, Staff. and OK
area Stilwell, OK Bonita Schmidt, X-ray & US. Award winners were
presented plaques at the social activity on Wed. evening on the outdoor
patio of the hotel. Congratulations were in order for Len Spaeth for his
27 years of service with IHS. Len served as the Bemidji Area MIP
coordinator and supervisor of the x-ray dept. in White Earth, MN We will
miss having Len at our activities. We wish him well on his next step in
life's adventure.

[Exhibit day:]{.underline} Wed. 11 exhibitors from AZ, MO, Wash. D.C.,
MD, CA, NV and TX shared their company products with the group. They
were: Kodak, Source One, Tyco-Mallinckrodt, Med-Tel, Alliance Imaging,
AGFA, Shared Imaging, Advanced Health Education Center-Med-Relief
Staffing, Source One Health, Toshiba America Medical, Barco Medical and
Assured Imaging. We appreciated there support for this event. Thank you
exhibitors.

[Social Activity:]{.underline} 46 people attended the Wed. evening Kodak
Health Imaging sponsored social event. We sincerely thank the
representatives present for this event from Kodak, they include Bob
Robinson, Sherri DiVito, AZ reps. Craig Miller, NM rep. and national
gov. account rep. from Plano, TX Don Waddelow. Thank you for your
continued support of our program.

[Hospitality Suite:]{.underline} Tue. and Wed. evening provided
attendees with ample opportunities to share and exchange ideas renew old
friendships and make new friends for future networking. Hosting the
event was Shared Imaging hosts Dick Pfeifer, Steve Oeding and Bob Clegg.
The group appreciated their hospitality. Thank you Dick, Steve & Bob.

From the director IHS MIP Thank You helpers: Facilitators: Debra Volk,
Beth Cranston and Marti Tank. Registration Desk and verification for CE
attendance Bonnie Baxter, Beth Cranston, Marti Tank and new to the group
Shelley Becker. Set up of equipment Delbert Fredricks.

[Website for IHS Medical Imaging Program]{.underline}

[www.ihs.gov/medicalprograms/medimaging/](http://www.ihs.gov/medicalprograms/medimaging/)

MIP website for program activities, news articles, career opportunities
(not official OPM job listings), question and answer section,
conferences dates, locations and agenda, listing of Birthdays, calendar
of events and other items shall be added in the near future.

**[22^nd^. ABD & BEM areas MIP Conf.]{.underline}**

August 24-26 Ramada Plaza Suites Hotel & Convention Center, Fargo, ND. A
block of rooms is reserved as IHS MIP for your personal room reservation
call 701-277-9000 Rooms at gov. rate \$55 + tax. ASRT C.E. category A
credits will be applied for. Subjects include, but not limited to: CAD,
Pediatric Rad. & Radiation protection, Behavior Based Management, this
topic was presented at the national AHRA convention last year, Digital
Imaging, CT & PET Imaging, PACS, Bone Density, Hepatitis, Renal US,
Infection Control and Proper Foot Care. [See website for full
program.]{.underline}

Pre-register for the event: phone, e-mail, FAX or letter to the office
of the director. Submit name, city and state where you work for your
name tag.

AREA BYTES:

ABERDEEN:

Congratulations Craig Lafferty appointed supervisor at Rosebud, SD.

Kyle, SD clinic installed their C.R. unit.

Winnebago, NE welcome PSC tech as new staff Tech. Mary Lynn Nelson, she
has worked as a Radiographer in the area for years.

Patty Cummings at Pine Ridge, SD informed this writer that their Voice
recognition dictation system Power Scribe was activated June 19^th^.
Their PACS and CR is implemented and going quite well. The transition
was smoother than she thought with the exception of a few bugs. The MI
department is State of the Art in every aspect now, digital Film-less
imaging.

Eagle Butte, SD welcome Ray Anderson, RT, R, ARDMS. Ray will cover
weekend duty for diagnostic imaging services.

NAVAJO:

Shiprock, NM Pat Murphy, supervisor said they have a new GE CT Light
Speed Ultra 8 slice and the images are great quality obtained within
seconds.

Welcome new staff members: Liliana Rodriquez US tech, she did her
clinical US rotation while in training at Shiprock 2 years ago. Tammy
Haley returned from Cortez public sector to do US and Renee Lemons CT,
Renee has tried to join the MIP team for the past 10 years or more. They
also renovated CT and Mammo imaging areas for better use of space.

**[OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Conference]{.underline}**

MIP Director to present "Digital Imaging" talk at the Oklahoma joint
conference on July 28^th^. OK City at the Reed Center.

Claremore IHS hospital supervisor Cathy Smith reports. The techs serve
as clinical instructors for the Tulsa Community College Rad. Tech.
training program. Student Elizabeth Gibson was honored by receiving the
outstanding clinical student tech. award this year. She also covers
weekend duty as a contractor and is well received by staff and clients.
She graduated in May. This was the 2^nd^. Year in a row one of their
students won this award. Jamie Soggins winner of the award last year is
now a full time employee. Our congratulations to the staff for a job
well done in training the next generation of diagnostic imaging
technologists. Ed Sanders is the clinical coordinator for TCC. Ed and
the students do a wonderful job and the staff is very proud of their
achievements and activities in the diagnostic imaging environment.

PHOENIX:

Congratulations Jim Stewart, supervisor position at Parker, AZ. Jim was
promoted from a staff position at San Carlos, AZ.

[Digital Imaging]{.underline}, new term for CR and DR is to place
Digital first, DCR and DDR the equipment manufacturers feel digital
should be stated along with the units.

[437 Scholarship Graduates]{.underline}

Congratulations June grads. Amy Babcock of Vinita, OK and Seneca Smith
of Yukon, OK. Seneca is working at Talihina doing x-ray and CT with a 16
multi-slice machine, the dept. is also a PACS configuration.

**[Radiologist Retirement]{.underline}**:

Congratulations Terrance "Terry" Hamel, MD, Chief Radiologist at PIMC.
Dr. Hamel, wife Deborah and their son Reed and daughter Leianna attended
his retirement party hosted at the hospital on July 2^nd^. MIP director
presented Dr. Hamel a retirement plaque for his 10 years of service with
the MIP. He retires with 30 years CO service. Dr. Hamel did general
medical care in Owyhee, NV and Sacaton, AZ prior to his Radiology
training. He plans to return in August as a CS employee.

**[Kodak & IBM seminar, Dallas, TX]{.underline}**

PACS seminar was attended by MIP director plus Darrell Gipson of Ada, OK
and Larry Readdy from Tahlequah, OK. The half day event covered digital
imaging and security issues.

[76^th^. ASRT & AERS conference June 11-15]{.underline}

The national society conference was hosted in downtown Dallas, TX at the
Adams Mark hotel. IHS MIP had an exhibit for recruitment of
technologists. Attendance 850 techs representing all 50 states, Military
folks and other countries enjoyed the programs and activities. As this
years President for the AZ Society of Rad. Techs. It was an honor to
carry the state flag for the parade of flags and lead the group into the
hall of delegates. There were major changes this year with voting
delegates eliminated from the regions and by imaging modalities. Now
each state has delegates and 2 representatives for each imaging
modality. The Military chapter closed the Presidents reception with the
"Meaning of Old Glory" what the flag represents and stands for. Dawn
Fucillo is the new ASRT President serving a membership of 116,000.

**[JCAHO inspections]{.underline}**

JCAHO inspectors conducted inspections at several locations during June,
some were Santa Fe, and ACL hospitals in NM plus PIMC in Phoenix, AZ and
Cibecue, AZ. All passed with flying colors.

[X-ray Training Program Phoneix, AZ]{.underline}

Alex Backus, program director for Gateway Community College, Phoenix, AZ
informed this writer that the fall class of students will start
receiving classes on digital imaging to PACS. They purchased a Fuji CR
and Kodak CR with mini-PACS connectivity for their students to keep
abreast of the technology change from a film based imaging dept. to a
film-less environment.

**[Chapter 21 MIP of the IHS manual]{.underline}**

Our chapter is in the distribution stage for review and comment. It was
sent from HQE for a 2 week review process for all medical facilities
staff members throughout IHS.

**[Radiology CARE Bill S-1197 & HR-1214]{.underline}**

House side of Congress has 108 members as cosponsors for the CARE bill
while the Senate side has 17 leaders in favor of radiologic excellence.
Eventually this bill will pass both Congress and the Senate to establish
minimum training requirements for operators of x-ray equipment.