The Impact of Shared Knowledge

By Joanne Henning, RT(R)(CT)

I want to thank the AHRA Education Foundation for the generous opportunity to attend the Virtual Fall Conference with the Ed Yoder Memorial Scholarship. While I did not know Ed Yoder personally, from what I have read, he sounds like the kind of leader I strive to become. In July, I became a new leader in my radiology department. Attending the virtual conference provided me with a renewed sense of focus, and it gave me multiple tools and resources to aide in my goal of influencing positive thinking and behaviors in my team.

While all of the sessions were informative and well done, there were a few sessions that stood out and that I have continued to think about often in my day to day work. The session “The Art of Accommodation: Creating an Outstanding Customer Service Experience” was quite powerful. It made me think to myself, “Am I truly accommodating my patients, or am I merely providing a service?” I found this session extremely motivating with real actions, and I felt it needed to be shared with my department. I had my director watch the session and she agreed, so we showed it at our staff meeting that very week. Many of the staff commented on how the session made them think differently about customer service and how accommodating the patient by anticipating their needs is the key to great customer service.

As a new leader, I was also excited to participate in the sessions about “Joint Commission Imaging Standards and Changes,” “Radiation Dose Monitoring Lessons Learned,” and “Imaging 2016 Market Update.” These sessions gave me much needed insight and education that I could share with my team and other leaders in my department, allowing us to be better prepared for our future.

Each session provided me with a piece of knowledge that has been instrumental to my new role as a supervisor. I am grateful for the opportunity this scholarship provided. Because I could share the presentations, my ability to attend the virtual conference not only impacted me, but also others in my department. Most importantly, from this opportunity the patients we accommodate have benefited and will continue to benefit each and every day.

Note from the Editor: A handful of select sessions from the 2016 Virtual Fall Conference (including all sessions mentioned above) are now available for purchase on demand! Click here to view the offerings and to purchase.

Joanne Henning, RT(R)(CT) is the CT/MRI supervisor at Fairview Lakes Medical Center in Wyoming, MN. She can be reached at jhennin2@fairview.org.