This is my third year in a row to say “WOW!” This year marked my third AHRA Annual Meeting, with many thanks to the AHRA Education Foundation and RCCS for providing a scholarship. The event in Orlando was just as informative and insightful as when I attended in Phoenix and Indianapolis. Anyone that is involved with imaging and/or healthcare leadership would gain an unimaginable wealth of tools by attending the AHRA Annual Meeting.

I’m always looking for new information and to better my leadership skills — the sessions I sat in on did just that! “Growing Your Leaders,” presented by Kasi Rether, was the first one I attended. She was so passionate about what is best for her team. Kasi explained how she encourages and supports her leaders’ goals, even if that means their plans are short term for the position they were just hired for. Also, I loved her suggestion to make her leaders take a day off after they return from vacation or an extended time off. This day is for catching up on any work-related items, such as answering the mound of emails probably waiting for them. Many of her leadership suggestions I plan to utilize.

I try to plan for a regulatory session each year and this time I attended “CMS – CT Imaging Dose and Quality Measure,” presented by Andrew Scott. Andrew explained the new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) measure includes reporting inadequate image quality by measuring the noise in the scan, ensuring that enough radiation is being used. We are always focusing on less and less radiation. However, for the patient’s best interest, there needs to be a happy medium so that pathology doesn’t get missed with using too little of a dose. The good news is that the software needed for reporting is free of charge, but facilities will need server space and IT to implement.

One of my favorite sessions was “An Unconventional Approach: Leveraging Kindness As A Strategy For Success,” presented by Cindy Rowe. She explained that for her birthday month several years ago, she would do an act of kindness for each day of the month. Do you know what that did? It actually changed her perspective, and to this day she seeks ways to help others. This has improved her personally in so many ways. She challenged each of us to do 30 days of kindness. How inspiring!

Each and every session at the Annual Meeting is developed to help you grow as a leader and sometimes even offers self-help to be a better you! And what great keynote speakers — from Dr. Vuu’s laughing exercises to Jake Poore’s fascination with giving away Disney trinkets! All tools to help me be a better person and hopefully a better team member.

Next year’s conference is in Las Vegas. Who wouldn’t want to go to Vegas and come back much richer — with knowledge, and perhaps some moolah! Make a point to attend next year, I promise you won’t regret it.