From the July 2013 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine

Times are tough. And that’s partly why AHRA, the association for medical imaging management, a society for radiology administrators, says it has chosen Minneapolis as the site for its 41st annual meeting, which runs July 28-31. The city is in the middle of the country, affording convenient access to imaging center and department managers on both coasts.

“Minneapolis and its Convention Center offered tremendous value to our members and in this day and age of financial constraint, AHRA wanted to provide a destination to increase opportunity for greater attendance,” Carlos Vasquez, the 2012-2013 president of the association, tells DOTmed News.

The meeting, which expects around 1,000 imaging professionals and 200 exhibitors, offers sessions on dozens of topics of interest to radiology administrators, from MRI safety and radiation dose reduction to what new regulations will affect health care marketing. AHRA’s design team also worked to assemble an “industry-renowned” group of presenters, according to Vasquez.

Keynote speakers include Liz Jazwiec, an ER nurse and author of “Eat THAT Cookie”; Scott Christopher, a lecturer whose book “The Levity Effect: Why It Pays to Lighten Up” extols the business-boosting effects of humor; and Erik Wahl, a graffiti stage performer.

“Every attendee will be in for a treat and gain knowledge immediately applicable in their work,” Vasquez says.

For links lovers, on the morning of July 28, the association is also hosting its 14th annual Imaging Classic Golf Tournament at the Wild Golf Clubs southwest of the city. Proceeds from the tournament will support the AHRA Education Foundation, a 23-year-old organization that promotes management education for imaging professionals and awards scholarships to AHRA members to attend school or the annual meeting. As a lead-up to the show, DOTmed Business News had a question and answer session with Vasquez to get the latest about the association and the event.

DMBN: How did you get involved with the AHRA?
CV: I first got involved with AHRA in 1992 when I attended my first annual meeting in Orlando, and it was love at first show: I needed the knowledge and speedy development of radiology administration skills and AHRA was my sole source of imaging leadership development.

DMBN: What are you most proud of having done as president?
CV: I am most proud of putting our strategic plan to the test and in congruency with AHRA Mission and most importantly the greatest needs of our members. This year the AHRA Board and I worked on initiatives supporting our strategic plan. First, we have entered into a higher visibility on advocacy. This is focused on legislation impacting medical imaging in which our members can make a difference by actively engaging and exercising their duties as constituents. An example is AHRA’s endorsement of Are You Dense Advocacy Inc. and its efforts to standardize the communication of dense breast tissue. This includes support of breast density notification laws and expanded insurance coverage screening legislation. Additionally, we are working on developing strong relationship with entities with strong footprints on advocacy like ACR, AAPM and MITA to mention a few.

July 2013 Magazine

Read more stories from the July 2013 issue

More Voices