Operational Excellence A Day in My Life as a CT/Radiation Supervisor April 11, 2025 - Michael E. Welch Jr.

Editor’s Note: In this new series from AHRA, we ask medical imaging professionals to walk us through a day in their life, hour by hour. Today’s edition features Michael Welch, CT/radiation safety supervisor at Saratoga Hospital in New York.

Interested in sharing your story or want to recommend someone? Reach out to link@ahra.org.

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7:00 AM: The Morning Routine

I walk into the hospital, coffee in hand, and make my rounds to check in with the overnight crew. First order of business: Any patient safety concerns? Equipment issues? Were there any Hawkeye issues or delays in read times while utilizing this overnight reading service? These early chats set the tone for the day; if something needs immediate attention, I can get ahead of it before things get busy.

8:00 AM: Emails, Audits, and Radiation Safety Checks

I check in with my leadership team and give an update of any concerns to share at the senior management huddle. Then I sift through emails and see if any concerns occurred the night before. Any meetings added or canceled? Any radiation safety issues, or dose tracking errors from the main campus or off-sites?

Once I’m caught up, I run a CT exam audit from the previous day to check if the timeout process was followed before scanning patients. This process is vital to ensuring we’re maintaining patient safety and best practices across all shifts.

9:00 AM: Breakfast Break

Before diving into my first meeting, I make my usual trip to the cafeteria for my staple: two boiled eggs, a handful of grapes, and some walnuts. On the way back, I stop to chat with our front desk or environmental services staff, usually about the Eagles or the Yankees, depending on who’s more disappointing that week. After a quick debate, I’m off to my first meeting.

9:30 AM – 11:30 AM: PET/CT Weekly Catch-Up

During this meeting, we talk about workflow improvements, staffing barriers, the growth of our PET oncology program, and PET cardiac implementation. It’s a mix of strategy, problem-solving, and making sure we’re staying ahead of the curve.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Charge Champion Meeting

During the Charge Champion meeting, we review how charges are being tracked in Epic, making sure procedures are billed correctly so our department and organization isn’t losing revenue with respect to charge captures. This meeting has proven to be very helpful as we have recently transitioned to the Epic Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Imaging Area Check and Ensuring Lunch Breaks

By now, the department is in full swing. I walk through the imaging area to check in with the team to make sure we have coverage for lunch breaks. I see if any last-minute, add-on CT guidance procedures (drains or bone marrow biopsies) have been placed on the schedule. If things are tight, or the volume has ramped up, I’ll jump in and assist with patient throughput to ensure staff breaks occur.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Eat Lunch and Staffing Review

Once the team is settled, I’ll grab something to eat. If it’s Wednesday, that means a chicken tender wrap! Back at my desk, I eat as I shift gears to reviewing the staff schedule, making sure we have overnight and weekend coverage set. If there’s a gap, I’ll start sending out communications to see if we can get the coverage accomplished.

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Meeting With the Emergency Department Leadership

This is one of my favorite meetings because we attempt to work ahead and solve issues that prevent timely acquisition of patient imaging exams. Sitting down with the emergency department nurse manager, we tackle the usual obstacles:

• IV documentation issues
• Jewelry under cervical collars
• Incorrect orders for stroke patients

By the end of this meeting, we typically have some action items to track that improve workflow and patient care.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Shift Handoff 

Back to imaging to check-in with the 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM shift. Any major issues? Do they have what they need? I also make sure any key updates are communicated with the overnight crew, making sure generator testing needs or changes in vascular access schedules are noted, for example.

4:00 PM: Wrapping Up and ACR Dose Review

Before heading out, I take a quick look at tomorrow’s schedule to make sure I’m ready for any meetings. Then, I review the American College of Radiology (ACR) National Dose Registry to check radiation dose logs across all of our CT units. If something’s out of tolerance, it’s flagged for follow-up.

Before heading home, I like to reset my next day to zero by editing my to-do list. This typically consists of going through my sticky notes and emails to plan for the next day, as well as organizing my desk. This helps me recharge for the following day and for my arrival home, spending the evening with my family.