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Summer 2005 |
| Note from the Editor Davide Bova, MD
It is widely thought that a Central Chapter that is more active than ever could not continue to operate without an established form of communication between its leadership and members. As we all know, communication is more effective when bi-directional—thus the idea of a newsletter embedded into the renewed web site for the Chapter; a dynamic virtual space where information is not only downloaded, but also updated and shared with others! We all (and myself in particular) owe heartfelt gratitude to Karen Martin, my co-editor, and Merle Hedland, the Executive Director of our Chapter. Without Karen’s ebullient energy and Merle’s gentle nudging, this project would still be in the planning stage. As I stated above, this newsletter will be hallmarked by a two-way cooperation between the Office of the Central Chapter and, the members, which will determine its success. I therefore have two pleas:
I am looking forward to meeting you all online. Message From the President Nicholas C. Friedman MD I have been pondering whether my first message should be light hearted, or “business as usual”. Perhaps a little of each will suffice. The spring meeting organized by Doctor Gary Dillehay and Rebecca Sajdak, CNMT was one of the most intellectually stimulating Central Chapter meetings I have attended in years. The schedule was so appealing, I found myself rising on a Sunday without hesitation, despite the fact that I have a dearly held belief that Sundays are for goofing off and for gardening, biking, reading, movies and generally recharging your batteries for the upcoming week – anything but serious stuff like sitting in a chair, listening and thinking. This is why when I was Central Chapter program chair, there was no Sunday session. The efforts of Gary and Rebecca should receive an huge round of applause. My first official duty as the chapter president was to attend the Society of Nuclear Medicine Chapter Retreat on May 24, organized by the SNM to meet with Chapter Presidents and Executive Directors to improve communication and collaboration between chapters and the SNM. Chapter presidents reported on some of the difficulties they have experienced. Low member participation in their chapters and lack of new “blood” in the leadership of the Society was a common theme. There were many discussions on how the society could create a framework to help individual chapters. Why reinvent a newsletter or a web site 14 times? (There are 14 chapters). As there is no competition between chapters, it would be far more efficient if resources could be pooled. A speakers list of the most popular speakers and topics will be considered to help plan meetings. Membership penetration was also a topic of discussion. Less than 1/2 of registered technologists are members of the SNM. New features of membership, such as online recording of CME credits and a changing environment (in the future more states will require CME), will likely help recruit new members. Finally, as the person responsible for finding new leadership in the Chapter, if you are a physician or a scientist who would like to participate in any way in the leadership of your society, please contact me via the chapter email, info@ccsnm.org. Welcome from the Tech Section President Rebecca Sajdak, CNMT
Presently we are at the forefront of PET imaging, radioimmunotherapy, and molecular imaging, just to name a few. This is probably the most exciting time in Nuclear Medicine since SPECT replaced planar imaging. The personal challenge to today’s technologist is to maintain the desire to advance and to learn in the ever-changing environment in which we work. Our responsibilities in this labor-intensive field are both physically and mentally demanding, with highly sophisticated apparatus to operate and complex computer software to master. Nuclear Medicine science is moving at a rapid pace, requiring technologists to constantly educate themselves and to stay current on technology. The modern technologist has progressed to new levels in order to meet the challenges occurring in the field. Success today involves a juggling act, requiring outstanding patient care while dealing with technical, administrative, secretarial and management issues. At our first ever meeting attended by all chapter presidents countrywide and representatives of the national office of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, current issues and needs were discussed (watch for a report of this meeting soon in an upcoming newsletter). All chapters appear to be experiencing the same difficulties: communication was a central theme, with representatives from all chapters agreeing that the nuclear community as a whole needs added support from our members to communicate new ideas and techniques, universalize protocols and disseminate knowledge to one another. I am impressed by how many dedicated peers have the same needs and desires as the technologists that I work with every day. Please feel free to use the central chapter web site to convey your professional ideas; in addition, consider becoming a member of a committee at the local level in order to become an active member in the nuclear medicine community. There is always the need for dedicated people with good ideas. Your participation can help to keep nuclear medicine in the forefront of diagnostic imaging. Chapter to Host Fall Educational Meeting on Image Fusion in Minneapolis
Doctor Butler notes that for many years, clinicians have wanted technology that fused images of the same anatomy or function from different imaging techniques. Image fusion increases the usefulness of the information from two images or image sets and makes it easier for the clinician to use the sets of information together. Among other advantages, fusion helps compensate for deficiencies in each of the other image modalities and allows them to complement one another. Clinicians can also benefit from fusion where images produced by the same technique, but at different times. By comparing images over time, a physician can determine whether a disease has spread or has decreased. Linda Laman reports that CT, MR, PET, SPECT, Ultrasound and Conventional Radiology all can lend themselves to image fusion. Also, Medicare is reimbursing for PET/CT fusion performed on a PET/CT scanner and there is also talk that Medicare will be reimbursing for other image fusion in the near future which will increase the need for knowledge. Preliminary program topics include: Saturday, October 1, 2005
Sunday, October 2, 2005
A special Technology Track is also anticipated including:
Potential optional activities on Saturday evening may include a visit to the Mall of America, a trip to Mystic Lake Casino or a Light Rail Tour of Minneapolis. A golf tournament is also being considered for Sunday afternoon after the conclusion of the program. Information will soon be available on the Chapter’s web site, including on-line registration. Watch Your Mail and Email for Information on the 2005 Road Shows Nancy McDonald, CNMT, Chair of the CCSNM Continuing Education Committee is finalizing the details for the 2005 Road Show Series scheduled for the Fall. Road Shows will be held in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Minnesota will not be included this year due to the Chapter’s Fall Meeting, “Fusing Form and Function” to be held October 1 & 2 at the Hilton Mall of America in Minneapolis.
Once the dates, locations and programs have been finalized, brochures will be distributed and information will be available on the Chapter’s web site, including online registration. 2006 Annual Meeting to Be Held in Indianapolis
Renae
Henkin Receives First Annual The 2005 CCSNM Annual Meeting marked the inaugural presentation of the Steven M. Pinsky, MD Distinguished Service Award or Gold Medal. The awards honors individuals who have contributed greatly to nuclear medicine or the Central Chapter, much like Dr. Pinsky did during his career.
Renae had worked for the Society of Nuclear Medicine at the national
office prior to joining the Chapter and because of that, brought
a considerable amount of expertise to her position as well as
having a good understanding of Nuclear Medicine. She and her husband
Bob were devoted to making the Chapter strong. They were both
our greatest assets at a time when they were sorely needed. She
is a true friend of the Chapter and its members.
Upon graduation from medical school, Dr. Pinsky entered the radiology
residency program at the University of Chicago Hospitals, where
he later was appointed chief resident in diagnostic radiology.
After completing his residency, he enlisted in the Army, rising
to the rank of major and serving at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington. During his exceptional career, Dr. Pinsky was particularly involved in organized radiology, serving as president of the Central Chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and president of the Illinois Radiological Society. He was awarded fellowship in both the American College of Radiology and the American College of Nuclear Physicians. In recognition of his outstanding work on behalf of radiology, the Chicago Radiological Society awarded Dr. Pinsky its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, or the Gold Medal. Dr. Pinsky’s generosity and service extended beyond the scope of radiology, donating a room at Michael Reese Hospital, a conference room at the University of Chicago, and a children’s library at the Jewish Community Center in Northbrook. Thoughts from the Immediate Past Chapter President Susan C. Weiss, CNMT
The Central Chapter continues to be the largest chapter with over 2,000 members and we continue to have a strong financial base. Dues have been kept low but recent meetings have been successful to the point that funds have been added to reserves. We approved a number of programs this past year that are now coming to fruition, chief among them is the launch of this newsletter in electronic format. The former printed newsletter was discontinued some time ago in anticipation of producing it in electronic format. When it is fully operational, the newsletter is targeted to be issued four times a year. Davide Bova, MD and Karen Martin, CNMT are editors of the newsletter. This newsletter is actually archived on the web site under the “Publications” tab and can be accessed at any time. However, when each issue is produced, a “teaser” is emailed to each member with a link back to the newsletter on the web site. It is important than for all members to record their email addresses in the SNM Membership Directory so you can receive electronic information not only from the Chapter, but also from the SNM. You can go online to the SNM web site (www.snm.org) to update your information. We have also launched a new web site at www.ccsnm.org. It will be under construction for a while, but when it is done will include information on the CCSNM and Technologist Section plus resource information for members, residents, students and patients. A special thanks to Davide Bova, MD and Rebecca Sajdak, CNMT for helping to design the content of the web site. For the past four years, with the discontinuance of the Fall Educational Meeting, the Board of Governors was meeting only once a year, which was proving to not be enough to address the important issues. Therefore, this past year saw the re-establishment of a Fall Governance Meeting where the Board of Governors met and concentrated on issues that could not be covered at the Spring Meeting when future programming occupies much of the discussion. It was at this meeting that the Distinguished Service Award or
Gold Medal was proposed and approved to recognize individuals
who have contributed greatly to nuclear medicine or to the Central
Chapter. The award was named after Steven M. Pinsky, MD, who passed
away in 2004 after many years of leadership in nuclear medicine,
radiology and in organized radiology. We are pleased that the
first Distinguished Service Award was presented to Renae Henkin,
former Executive Director of the Central Chapter. An article on
Renae receiving this award and information about Doctor Pinsky
is included elsewhere in this newsletter. As a final comment, I would like to encourage you to considering volunteering for a committee of the Chapter or the Technologist Section and to volunteer to serve on the Board of Governors. It really isn’t much time, but it is very important to get your input. Committee volunteer forms and nomination forms for the Board of Governors and the Technologist Section Executive Council will be available on the web site and nominations forms for the Board of Governors and Technologist Section will be mailed again next Fall. We can to build involvement in the chapter and the best way to do that is to get members to sign up to serve on committees. The Technologist Section specially is planning some new activities for their members and they will be looking for volunteers. Notes from the Tech Section Katherine A. Carlson, CNMT
Gateway Meeting On October 16, 2004, members of the Central Chapter and Technologist Section met to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Section and current and future trends. From this discussion, major initiatives were identified and objectives defined. The Gateway report outlined a strategic plan to guide the Section through 2007. The leadership of the Tech Section should work to meet the goals in this report. A copy of the Gateway report can be obtained from the Executive Director. 2004 Roadshows The title of the 2004 Roadshow was Evolving Role of Nuclear Medicine on Patient Management. Roadshows were held at six locations and with approximately 200 attendees. Nancy McDonald, the Continuing Education Chair, did an excellent job of organizing the Roadshows and finding coordinators for each site. The site coordinators themselves must be thanked for their efforts to enlist quality speakers and sponsorship for their local Roadshow. The Birthdate of the Central Chapter Technologist Section This year is the 50th Anniversary of the Central Chapter and that brought up the question of when was the Technologist Section established. Thanks to James Carlson, Past President of the Central Chapter, I have a copy of the first Central Chapter Newsletter, Vol. 1, No. 1, December, 1973. The newsletter contains a letter from Merle Loken, MD, President of the Central Chapter. Here is an excerpt from his letter. “We are pleased that the bylaws of the Technologists’ Section were ratified by the membership at the Indianapolis meeting (October 25-27, 1973). Following the Spring Meeting in Chicago in March, I appointed a special committee chaired by Dennis Damm and including Zeb Harris, Joe Iacovo, Lois Moore, Larry Newton, John Kidder and Arthur Kuhl as members to finalize these bylaws. Their efforts on behalf of the technologist members is greatly appreciated.” From Dennis Miller, President of the Technologist group: ”The fiscal year 1973-74 is proving to be a monumental year for the technologists of the Central Chapter. Certainly the most significant thing accomplished this year was the formulation and eventual ratification of bylaws organizing all existing local groups in the Central Chapter into the Central Chapter Technologists Section of the Society of Nuclear Medicine. Through these bylaws and the organization that they form, the void that had existed between the local affairs and national affairs will be filled.” Also of interest is his description of the October, 1973 Fall Meeting. ”Several sentences ago, I mentioned the meeting held in Indianapolis October 25, 26, and 27. This was probably the second most significant thing accomplished this year. Those in attendance all agreed that it was an overwhelming success. This was the first meeting in the Central Chapter where the technologists designed and coordinated their own program. Thursday, the 25th, had a two hour panel session. Four teams of physician-technologists from institutions within the Central Chapter discussed their approach to Nuclear Medicine examination of systems such as the Reticuloendothelial System, Total Body Imaging, Pulmonary Studies and the Central Nervous System. The business meeting followed. Seventy people attended the panel session and over forty were present at the business meeting. …..The point is that the meeting was a marvelous success. Much was learned by technologists about putting on a meeting and more and better meetings are being planned for the future.” Central Chapter Celebrates its 50th Anniversary The 2005 Annual Meeting marked the 50th Anniversary of the Central Chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine. The Program Committee used this opportunity to look back at the achievements of past leaders in nuclear medicine and use it as a base line for looking forward, to the role of nuclear medicine in the future.
Central Chapter Honors Past Presidents As part of the 50th Anniversary Meeting, the CCSNM honored the past presidents of the Central Chapter and also the past presidents of the Technologist Section. Displays were created for the meeting to showcase the presidents. In addition, the past presidents were recognized at the 50th Anniversary Reception and presented with a crystal commemorating the 50th Anniversary. Past presidents at the reception are listed below. As each individual accepted their crystal, they told stories and anecdotes that painted an interesting picture of the Chapter’s far and recent past. Our past presidents have been witnesses and catalysts of the history of our field as well as our chapter which, as many will remember, precedes the national Society itself.
The complete list of Chapter and Technologists Sections presidents can be found on the Central Chapter web site, www.ccsnm.org. Central Chapter Officers and Directors Elected
In the Chapter balloting, Gary L. Dillehay, MD of Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois was elected Vice President, replacing Nicholas C. Friedman, MD of Hines VA Medical Center in Hines, Illinois who moved up to President of the Chapter. Helena R. Balon, MD, of the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan continues for a second year as Secretary-Treasurer, but she now also gains the title of President-Elect, preparing to step into the presidency in 2006. Gregory Wiseman, MD, of Mayo Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota was re-elected to a second four term on the Board of Governors. Robert T. Anger, MS of Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana was elected to a four year term on the Board of Governors. Anger has served on the Board of Governors on an interim basis in 2003-2004. The 2005-2006 Board of Governors: President Vice President Secretary/Treasurer & President
Elect Elected Board of Governors Robert T. Anger, Jr. MS Manuel L. Brown, MD Michael J. Blend, PhD, DO Lynnette Fulk, CNMT, FSNMTS Robert S. Hellman, MD M. Karen Martin, CNMT Anthony M. Passalaqua, MD Gregory A. Wiseman, MD Past Presidents on Board of Governors Susan C. Weiss, CNMT, FSNMTS James E. Carey, MS A full listing of the Board of Governors with contact information is available on the web site at www.ccsnm.org. Technologist Section Officers on Board of Governors President President-Elect Central Chapter Technologist Section Elects Officers
Mary Yeomans, of MediNuclear in Walled Lake, Michigan was elected to a one year term as Secretary, while Roxanne Izzo, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois continues for the second year of a two-year term as Treasurer and Chair of the TS Finance Committee. Richard States, of the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio, was elected to the bylaws committee. Katherine Carlson, will serve a one year interim appointment as the Central Chapter Technologist Section delegate to the SNM-TS National Council of Representatives. The 2005-2006 Central Chapter Officers and Executive Council members are: President President-Elect Secretary Treasurer Immediate Past President National Council Delegate Board of Governors M. Karen Martin, CNMT The full listing of Technologist Section offices with Contract Information can be found on the Chapter’s web site at www.ccsnm.org. Central Chapter Members Receive Awards
The Technologist Section prize for Best Technologist Paper was awarded to Kevin Perry, CNMT, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, for his presentation entitled “PET/CT Image Artifact from Improper Gantry Offset Value”. Mr. Perry’s abstract was also accepted as a poster presentation at the SNM meeting, so he received a $250 award and $750 toward his expenses to present at the SNM meeting in Toronto. The Central Chapter awarded its $250 prize for Best Technologist Paper to Alberto Arroyo, CNMT, St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo. Mr. Arroyo’s talk was on the impact of CT pulmonary angiography on the V/Q scan and a follow up and comparison of 2004 figures to predicted values. The Beierwaltes Award for the Best Presentation by a nuclear medicine resident or scientist-in-training ($250) was awarded to Luke Bolek, MD from William Beaumont Hospital. Dr. Bolek’s talk was entitled “Multidetector CT Angiography and Pulmonary Scintigraphy in the Evaluation of Suspected Pulmonary Embolism”. The Society of Nuclear Medicine Technologist Section recently awarded Paul Cole Scholarships to three students attending programs in the Central Chapter. The winners are William Van Gelder, Mayo Clinic, Hiral Patel, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Natalia Grushchak, also at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The Central Chapter Technologist Section approved a motion at the 2005 meeting to give $2000 to the Paul Cole Scholarship Fund to sponsor scholarships specifically for students attending programs within the Chapter. These scholarships will be in addition to the 30 awarded by the SNMTS. We congratulate the winners on their hard work and initiative. CC News Info CCSNM Mission Statement Central Chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine is an organization dedicated to promote continued education in the art and science of nuclear medicine. Through regular meetings and scientific sessions, members from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and a portion of Ohio are provided the opportunity to not only review existing technology and methodologies, but also become familiar with newer techniques, equipment and radiopharma-ceuticals. In this manner, the members are kept appraised. Contact Us Central Chapter – Society of Nuclear Medicine |
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As many of
you remember, it has been now three years since the last issue
of the Central Chapter Newsletter has been produced. Financial
constraints were mainly responsible for this long hiatus, which
is ending today. 
This
is the first electronic newsletter published as part of our new
and improved web site. First, a thank you to Dr. Davide Bova and
Karen Martin, CNMT for their efforts in getting the newsletter
underway.
As current President of the CSNMTS, I would like to welcome everyone
to our first electronic newsletter. The central chapter is now
in its 50th year- what an exciting time to be a technologist and
to experience exciting changes in the field of nuclear medicine
technology! It seems that we are constantly approaching new horizons,
and the bar is constantly being raised.
The
Central Chapter is hosting a Fall Educational Conference on image
fusion. The day and one half program titled “F3 - Fusing
Form & Function,” will be held Saturday and Sunday,
October 1-2, 2005, at the Hilton Mall of American Hotel in Minneapolis.
Robert Butler, MD and Linda Laman, CNMT are the local program
chairs and are developing a comprehensive program coupled with
a little fun. Watch your mail and email for more information on
this special educational opportunity.
Tentative
plans are for each of the four-hour programs to be scheduled on
a Saturday morning in each location to cover three topics. VOICE
credit approval will be requested from the Society of Nuclear
Medicine Technologist Section.
After
two years in Chicago, the next CCSNM Annual Meeting will be held
March 23-26, 2006 at the Radisson Hotel City Center in Indianapolis,
Indiana. James W. Fletcher, MD, Indiana University School of Medicine
is chairing the local program committee with Paul Reaume, CNMT,
St. John Macomb Hospital in Warren, Michigan and Ed Wroblewski,
CNMT, St. Vincent’s Hospital in New Castle, Indiana serving
as co-chairs. The 2 ½ day program as currently being assembled
will include a variety of topics of importance to physicians and
technologists, but will emphasize molecular imaging. Watch your
mail, email and the Chapter’s web site for further information
and on-line registration. 
Dr.
Pinsky was born and raised in Milwaukee where his father, Dr.
Leo Pinsky, a dentist and professor, instilled in his son an appreciation
of both medicine and teaching. Following graduation from the University
of Wisconsin in Madison, young Steven Pinsky moved to Chicago
to attend Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. 
It
was really a pleasure to serve as your president for the 2004-2005
year. We launched a number of important programs for the future,
and the 50th Anniversary allowed us to reflect on the past leaders
and past accomplishments of the Chapter. The Anniversary Celebration
Reception put together in one room many years of experience and
dedication to nuclear medicine and we were pleased that many of
the past presidents could be present.
My
year as President of the Central Chapter Technologist Section
was stimulating and relatively easy. I had support and advice
from several past presidents who are still very active with the
Section, and from all committee members and officers. We did a
great job working together. I hope that reading about our accomplishments
here and elsewhere in this newsletter will make you pleased to
be a member of the Central Chapter Technologist Section. And we
want to congratulate and offer our support to Rebecca Sajdak,
CNMT, as she enters her year as president of the Technologist
Section.
Following
the call for nominations for Chapter and Technologist Section
officers and director in December, ballots were mailed to all
members of the chapter to vote.
In
the Technologist Section election, Rebecca Sajdak of Loyola Medical
Center, Maywood, Illinois moves from President-Elect to President,
replacing Katherine Carlson, Richard L. Roudebush VAMC, Indianapolis,
Indiana. James N. Kritzman, BS, CNMT, of the University of Michigan
Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan was elected President-Elect.
At
the 2005 Spring Meeting, the Technologist Section awarded three
new prizes for student presentations. The presentations were judged
on scientific/educational merit, organization, practicality, presentation
and technical merit. The First Place prize of $200 was awarded
to Paul Papineau from Northwestern Memorial Hospital for his talk
“Estimate the Spatial Resolution and its Energy Dependence
of a Dedicated PET Scanner”. Genica S. Zdenek, Northwestern
Memorial Hospital, was awarded $150 for Second Place for her talk
on the radiochemical stability of I-131 Chlorotoxin. Devin Miller,
also from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, received the Third Place
prize of $100 for his talk on bremsstrahlung imaging of Y-90 labeled
Zevalin. These prizes will be awarded annually at the Spring meeting.