By Marianne Matthews
At RSNA 2013 we’ll be hearing a good deal about the merits of collaboration—between institutions, across the continent, and around the world. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that some of the most powerful partnering starts at home. Recently, I witnessed what “collaborative care” really means in a life and death situation.
An ordinary day in September proved to be a harrowing one for a close friend of mine. I was aware he had not been feeling well for some time and so I stopped by to look in on him. He could barely walk. He was sheet white, shaking, his forehead wrinkled in pain. He looked 20 years older than his chronological age.
Somehow, I knew my friend was at death’s door. My adrenaline took over, and shortly thereafter, thankfully, the emergency department team at Beth Israel Medical Center did.
Talk about teamwork. I was so impressed with the professionalism, dedication, speed, and quality of care. Everyone on the care team—emergency department personnel, the radiology department, and various specialists from the ICU—worked efficiently together and toward a singular goal: saving my friend’s life. Over the course of 7 hours, the emergency department team kept clam, identified multiple serious problems, made smart decisions, kept me apprised, and comforted the seriously ill patient. But what really surprised me was the compassion that each and everyone I encountered showed to not only the patient, but also to me.
At RSNA 2013, “The Power of Partnership” will be evident in multiple impressive ways. We’ll hear about partnerships that have led to breakthrough research, and others that have resulted in sophisticated, new technologies. But as radiologists, keep in mind that the most powerful partnership opportunities may well be in your own backyard. Being an active member of the clinical care team—and getting closer to patients—is how you can make a genuine difference.
Delivering fast, accurate reports and consulting with your ED team to help save lives is one example. Oncologic imaging is another case in point and a growing area of interest for many radiologists.
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.6 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed this year alone. In an oncology specialty that espouses a multimodality, team-based approach, radiologists can play a leading role in the screening, diagnosis, staging, and surveillance of cancer patients. Learning how to be the best possible partner for the oncologist and the patient—that is, finding ways to make yourself a valuable, relevant member of the cancer care team—is the subject of several sessions at RSNA 2013 as well as an article in this issue. (See our story “A Place on the Team,” page 22.)
RSNA is an event that is ripe for forging new partnerships. You’ll have ample opportunity to collaborate with clinicians, researchers, and vendors from diverse countries and institutions—all under one roof. Even so, some of your most meaningful partnerships may well be back home—under your own roof.
