Cincinnati Children's Radiology Department Most Influential in the Country

Thursday, September 21, 2006

The Department of Radiology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has been nationally recognized for the third time this year among peers in radiology.

Most recently, RT Image magazine ranked the department among the top 25 Most Influential in Radiology. This appeared in the magazine's September 11, 2006 issue.

The 25 Most Influential in Radiology issue is a compilation of the best people, organizations and institutions impacting the radiology industry. Publication editors gathered names for months that have had the most impact on the radiology industry over the past year. The editorial staff then looked over all nominees and discussed each individually -- rating them by performance in the past year as well as possible impact for the coming year.

"Cincinnati Children's always stays on top of the most recent technologies on the market today; the facility is nationally known for its research and consistently ranks high among children's hospitals in the country," said Tom Schaffner, RT, Image magazine editor-in-chief. "In addition to the medical side of new technologies, Cincinnati Children's has also led the way in speech recognition innovations and radiology information systems and PACS to help expedite the patient experience."

The Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging at Cincinnati Children's was voted 21 of all "people, institutions, and organizations" reviewed. Only two other radiology departments were listed in the top 25, and Cincinnati Children's was the only one in the pediatric category. The top two were the American College of Radiology and RSNA (Radiologic Society of North America).

"It is a great honor to be included in a group that includes giants in the field such as the American College of Radiology and the Radiological Society of North America," said Lane Donnelly, MD, Radiologist-in-Chief at Cincinnati Children's.

Cincinnati Children's was chosen based on expertise featured in RT Image's August 14 issue, including:

• Filmless technology, including RIS / PACS across 18 facilities, voice recognition software, and complete self-edit workflow for radiologists called Radstream developed by the radiology informatics core.
• MEG (magnetoencephalography) used to study and aid in the treatment of brain diseases and disorders such as epilepsy, tumors and tuberous sclerosis. Possible future applications of MEG to help patients at Cincinnati Children's include stuttering, development of language after cochlear implantation, traumatic head injuries, cognitive and emotional adjustments due to abuse, Tourette's syndrome, Down syndrome, autism, and some psychiatric issues like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
• MRI and ultrasound imaging capabilities in the first-ever fetal surgery unit for early and accurate diagnosis of fetal abnormalities, allowing physicians to choose the best option with the least invasive treatment possible.
• Phillips Medical Systems FD20 flat detector system equipped with XperCT and 3DRA technology, allowing interventional radiology staff to have 3D angiography capabilities with CT capabilities to allow studies to be acquired in one location.
• Researching new ways to reduce radiation among children through the Imaging Research Center

The Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging at Cincinnati Children's was also recognized in 2006. Five of its members were chosen among the Industry Top 10 by Medical Imaging magazine, and associate professor of radiology and chief of the Radiology Informatics Research Core, Mark Halsted, MD, was chosen as Health Imaging & IT's top 25 Innovators in Healthcare.

Said Dr. Donnelly, "The vision of our department is to be the leader in pediatric imaging and these recognitions show that we are approaching that goal."

Cincinnati Children's is a 475-bed institution devoted to bringing the world the joy of healthier kids. Cincinnati Children's is dedicated to transforming the way health care is delivered by providing care that is timely, efficient, effective, family-centered, equitable and safe. Cincinnati Children's ranks second nationally among all pediatric centers in research grants from the National Institutes of Health. It is a teaching affiliate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The Cincinnati Children's vision is to be the leader in improving child health.