A Tight Team Dedicated to Service

Hackensack University Medical Center prides itself on a collaborative, accessible radiology team.

The Department of Radiology at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) is truly dedicated to service. “We have attending radiologists on site 24 hours a day—unlike other facilities in the area—with 24/7 availability of all major imaging,” says Jason Kreitner, Administrative Director of the Radiology Department.

“That is not only important for producing rapid report turnaround times, but also for providing easy access for consultation to referring physicians around the clock. This is particularly true with our extremely active Emergency Trauma Department,” states Harry Agress Jr, MD, FACR, Chairman of the Department of Radiology. “We do not outsource any of our work (and do not have residents or fellows). If a physician wants to discuss any case or if a surgeon in the OR needs a wet reading for a ‘missed count’ at 2am, we are here at the hospital to review with them. We see our role as Radiologists not only as interpreters of images, but also as decision-makers and major contributors to patient management and care.”

Typical turnaround report times are for example: all ETD CTs
> 90% within one hour and all neuro stroke protocol CTs are within 20 minutes.

“The department’s attending radiologists are all subspecialty fellowship trained, covering the major areas of Radiology Imaging, including Body CT/MR, Musculoskeletal, Neuroradiology, Interventional Procedures, Nuclear Medicine/PET/CT, Ultrasound, Pediatric, and Breast Imaging,” says Agress, who notes that the department has an annual exam volume of 350,000.

“It is because of the hospital’s willingness to be an early adopter of technology that HUMC has grown and expanded in the level of care we can provide,” he says. “The Radiology Department’s success can be attributed to the hospital’s investments in the right modalities—including MRI, 3T MRI, CT, Nuclear Medicine, X-ray, PET CT, Ultrasound, and Interventional Radiology, all of which are certified by the American College of Radiology,” says Kreitner.

Dr. Agress adds, “I feel that it is very important for administration and radiologists to work openly hand in hand. Both Jason and I believe strongly in responding rapidly to problems and working closely together to solve them. If there is an issue, we will start dealing with it immediately while the details and information access are still fresh in everyone’s mind. The sooner we resolve the problem, the less likely it is to occur again.”

“What further distinguishes the Radiology Department at HUMC is the level of commitment and dedication of our highly trained technologists, nurses and support staff who have earned a solid reputation for being collaborative and accessible,” according to Kreitner. “We have very low turnover among staff and are constantly monitoring our satisfaction scores among patients. All you have to do is walk through our department to see evidence of our team spirit,” he says.

“The morale among staff has a powerful impact on patient care,” says Kreitner, who often gets phone calls from patients and physicians praising the warm, friendly, service-oriented environment in the Radiology Department. “Patients coming to the Radiology Department get a highly personal level of service ? and it comes with a friendly smile from warm, friendly team members who want to make patients feel welcome.”

“We are proud that the Radiology Department is so well respected at HUMC,” say Agress and Kreitner. “In addition to being service oriented, the Radiology Department’s Radiologists and staff have established a reputation as being vital contributors to the care of our patients.”

About Hackensack University Medical CenterHackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) is a 775-bed not-for-profit, tertiary care, teaching and research hospital. HUMC is a nationally recognized healthcare organization. Honors include being named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals by HealthGrades® for five years in a row.

A. Smith is a contributing writer for Axis Imaging News.