imaging IT?

954heat · Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 90 Location: south florida

this question is for is hjh but anyone else is welcome to answer too. ive noticed in a few posts you said you do imaging IT. so my question: what exactly is imaging IT? ive never really heard of it so im just curious as to what it is and what you do, maybe its something i may want to get into one day. thanks.

hjhogle · Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:46 pm Post subject:

So glad you asked Smile

In ALMOST every hospital I've worked in, Radiology IT functions (PACS, RIS, dictation, etc) were supported by hospital IS (IS=information services, IT=information technology. They seem to be the same thing, regardless of what you call it).

At my current facility, Diagnostic Imaging has it's own IT department. (Although we're moving to a model of supporting all clinical departments). There are 16 of us. Director, 10 analysts of different sorts, 5 applications specialist/trainers. Currently, we support Diagnostic Imaging, Diagnostic Cardiology, the Neurosciences department and a new Cancer Center. All of that involves clinical systems. Not the imaging equipment, but the systems. PACS, RIS, dictation, critical results reporting, Rads peer review software, scheduling, registration .. and we cover the downtown campus, the cancer center, and 5 outpatient facilities. As well as anywhere at the University that uses our PACS system.

So it's a busy place. I love it - the thing I dislike the most in any job is boredom. And there is no boredom in my life today.

I wish I had a map and could tell you "do this and go there" and you can do what I do. Same as most of my life, I was in the right place at the right time. AND I have ALWAYS been willing to try something over my head.

good luck,
hjh, RT

954heat · Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 90 Location: south florida

thanks for the info! that sounds pretty interesting actually i think i knew someone that did this or something like this, i believe his job title was "pacs administrator" it was at my very first clinical site so i dont really remember to much, but i think he went around the department trouble shooting the pacs system and other stuff, im not sure if thats related to what you do or not. anyway like you said you cant tell me "do this and go there" but im guessing you have to be an RT first and probably some additional training?

hjhogle · Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:56 am Post subject:

Actually, no. Smile

There are still multiple pathways to get here. While some imaging IT people start out as RT's, there are even more who have their training in IT - they have formal training in computer science, or experience with networking or even biomedical engineering. Mostly what they have is an interest in it.

If you want to know more about what's happening in imaging IT, check out the PACS forum on AuntMinnie.com here http://www.auntminnie.com/forum/default.aspx and the JSPACS forum here:
http://jspacs.com/index.php/js-pacs-forum-new?func=view&catid=12&id=3#5

Good luck,
hjh, RT

954heat · Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 90 Location: south florida

i had to bring back an old topic lol

so hjh, im still interested in working with PACS, but like you said a few months ago, you cant really tell me to do this and that, but maybe you could just kinda point me in the right direction lol. i've done a little research and it looks like the PARCA is like the ARRT but for PACS related certification. is that correct? they offer the exams and certification, but i dont see that theres any kind of clinical requirements or something similar to what i did in radiology, like as far i as i can tell you just need to learn the information and pass the exams. is that correct? i'm kinda at a loss here, information wise, i dont really know anyone who works in PACS that i can just ask, hey what should i do lol. also i did know a guy while i was doing MRI who was the PACS admin but he didnt have any background in radiology whatsoever, just an IT background, but i know you have a radiology background and you said their is many different pathways into this field.

reading job descriptions, seeing some of what a PACS admin does first hand, and reading a small description of what you do, i think its something i would really enjoy and am very interested in, so any additional input you have would be wonderful, thanks!

hjhogle · Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 1:44 pm Post subject:

PARCA is one way, ABII (American Board of Imaging Informatics) is another. The biggest thing you need, of course, is the same thing we all need in any new endeavor - someone to give you a chance.

I have no computer credentials of any kind - never taken a formal class, all self-taught. (Mentored by a lot of people). And yet now I've taught countless sessions of MS Office, Intro to Computers, Internet for Dummies, anything for the end user, you name it - I probably taught it once.

What I had was a boss who really had no one else except me, and my answer was "of course I'll learn how to do that". Now it's ten years later.

Decide on either the PARCA or ABII. Start taking courses, many of which you can do online. If you're not in a facility that has Imaging IT then you need contacts who ARE PACS admins. Go to auntminnie.com and bury yourself in the PACS forum. Read everything ever posted by Mike Cannavo, THEPACSMAN.

If you really want to know PACS, email him. If you've never used Aunt Minnie, when you open a topic string, the left hand side of the message window has the posters name and status ... below that are some icons like: email, PM (private message), address, block. When you find a message by Mike, use either the email or PM icons to send him a message without posting it for the world to see.

Explain your situation, what you want to do, where your interests like. Mike knows just about everything there is to know about PACS, and he's generous with his time and what he thinks about the process of becoming a PACS Admin.

Whatever he tells you? Do it.

And good luck Smile

(Also pay attention to Doctor Dalai - a great Radiologists perspective on PACS and Imaging IT issues.
hjh, RT

954heat · Joined: 29 Sep 2007 Posts: 90 Location: south florida

every bit of info helps alot as i dont know much about PACS, so i'll do just what you said, thank you!