Last spring RBJ put out a call for entrants to compete in its inaugural Imaging Innovation Awards. We opened the contest to all private radiology practices and hospital radiology departments that had recently completed a project combining creative thinking with coordinated teamwork to develop a notably original breakthrough in some particular aspect of medical imaging.

The Southeast Regional Stroke Center at Erlanger, based out of the University of Tennessee’s Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, receives referrals from more than 40 hospitals and treats more than 2,500 strokes each year. Patients are rushed to their internationally-recognized center, more commonly referred to as the Erlanger Stroke Network, both day and night, some arriving by ambulance and others by helicopter.

It’s just complicated. That’s the view many radiology practice leaders have of managing their information technology. But bringing together the right systems, software, infrastructure, and team can conquer that—even for large, complex practices like Central Illinois Radiological Associates (CIRA). Interpreting more than one million studies per year, and serving more than 26 hospitals, cancer centers, and clinics across multiple hospital systems utilizing multiple IT solutions, the secret sauce is a single worklist that helps unify study management across all sites.

I love being a neuroradiologist and helping patients. I’ve always loved it. But there are downsides to the work as well. The stress levels might be high, you can feel isolated or restricted and your work list may control everything you do—it’s no wonder burnout is so high in our profession these days.

As far back as my undergraduate years, I knew I wanted to work in a field that combined medicine with computer science. I actually had a professor who told me that was a silly combination. He said there’d never be a real-world need for it. How wrong he was—and how fortunate I am to now work for a radiology practice whose hallmark is its enthusiastic embrace of IT and imaging informatics.

Imad Nijim, chief information officer of MEDNAX Radiology Solutions and Virtual Radiologic (vRad), has been in medical imaging and informatics for more than 18 years. He’s seen a lot during that time, but nothing quite as groundbreaking or exciting as the artificial intelligence (AI) currently being developed by researchers all over the world. Nijim spoke with Radiology Business about MEDNAX Radiology Solutions’ plans for AI, what he sees in the industry today, and the company’s big plans for RSNA 2018.

Sharon Gibbs, director of the radiology department at VCU Health in Richmond, Virginia, aims to provide quality, timely and efficient care. To do so, she must define, analyze and track the metrics and quality needs of her large care providing team, which consists of more than 40 faculty radiologists, over 200 technologists, and numerous other stakeholders. Gibbs knew that a single analytics solution would enable her to gather data more quickly.

Change Healthcare is primarily known for its state-of-the-art technology and business solutions, but the company also provides consulting services, including overall assessments of an organization’s overall business health. Sometimes, healthcare providers know they need help keeping up with the rest of the industry, but need to be pointed in the right direction before they can get started; that’s where Change Healthcare enters the equation.