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By Sheryl Jackson
Every month, one of the RACC Commissioners has the privilege, in rotation, of sharing with you what is on our mind. As the RACC’s Public Commissioner I have governing oversight of the CRA credential, but there is also that unique component in terms of the public interest. The Public Commissioner offers input as a business person who is not actively employed or engaged in the imaging field, so it’s about advancing the credential for the broader interest (think in terms of how the CRA impacts the general public). One way this gets executed is by considering strategic business alliances and mutual programming, reciprocal marketing efforts, etc. Another way is to generally increase the awareness of the credential and the cross-domain excellence and leadership the CRA provides when reviewing a slate of candidates by hiring managers or healthcare recruiters. My message to you today will focus on the public interest, safety, and leading change during a stormy healthcare climate.
As I write this article, another threatening band of thunderstorms, heavy rains, damaging winds, and hail is moving through the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Tornado sirens were blaring today, and residents took precautions as weather advisors and technology kept us updated as the storm advanced. Improved data and analytics allow us to be safer now since we know more about these ominous storm cells. The precision is amazing in the predictive analytics, risk criteria, attributes of the storms, and tracking the storms. The collective inputs from national storm centers, drone technologies, local weather advisors, in-flight meteorologists, roving weather trackers, and live feeds allow meteorologists to be more accurate in their reporting. New technology and improved accuracy supports improved predictions and improved outcomes. People are much safer than they were only a few years ago due the advances in technology and knowledge, contributing to fewer deaths even through more complex storm cells.
The healthcare climate is changing, there is a storm raging out there, and I want to challenge you today to ask yourself two major questions:
1) As a personal/professional challenge, ask yourself, “How am I evolving personally and professionally to be a standout leader in anticipating, meeting, and exceeding tomorrow’s changing imaging needs of the population we serve? How am I helping each member of my team to be standout members of imaging services?” Do your team members have their CRA? Are you supporting their pursuit of the CRA credential?
2) As a director of imaging services challenge, ask yourself, “How am I strategically evolving our imaging services to meet tomorrow’s healthcare needs of our current patients and on behalf of community wellness and population health initiatives?”
When you answer the challenge questions above, put on that lens that allows you to look around the corner. Be sure that you consider a unique and separate response for each domain and then also align it vertically to your overall organizational strategy, recently communicated changes, and long-range plans that are under development. I’d love to hear what you come up with in the comments! Good luck. Stay in touch.
Sheryl Jackson is Public Commissioner for RACC and a resident of Dallas, Texas. In additional to serving as RACC Public Commissioner, Sheryl is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Administrators N. Texas and sits on the Education Committee. She is also a Member of the North Texas Crime Commission; Cyber Crime Committee and Sub-Committee on Healthcare. Additionally, Sheryl is a Board Member and serves as Director of Governance for Empowering Women as Leaders, which supports women in achieving their highest potential through education, mentoring, and networking. You may reach out to Sheryl at: sherylmjackson@yahoo.com.
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