April 2007

3D Laboratory Celebrates Ten Years of Service

By Laura J. Pierce, MPA, RT (CT)

3D lab group photo taken March 2007 (image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger). First row (L to R): Sandy Napel, PhD, 3D lab Co-Director; Laura Pierce, MPA, RT (CT); Geoffrey Rubin, MD, 3D lab Co-Director; Second row (L to R): Kala Raman, MS; Keshni Kumar, CRT; Linda Novello, RT (MRI); Third row (L to R): Noe Hinojosa, RT (CT); William Johnsen, RT (CV) (RCIS); Lakeesha Winston; and Marc Sofilos, RT.

In September 2006, the Stanford 3D Medical Imaging Laboratory celebrated a decade of service to the Stanford Medical community. When the 3D Medical Imaging Laboratory was established in 1996, we had 300 square feet of space in the basement of the Grant building, occupied by one 3D imaging technologist (Laura Logan), and seven engineering students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical researchers. The average monthly 3D volume was 64 examinations. Today, we have 1300 square feet of space in our two labs and six 3D imaging technologists: Laura Pierce, 3D Lab Manager (formerly Laura Logan); Marc Sofilos; Linda Novello; Keshni Kumar; William Johnsen; and our newest technologist, Noe Hinojosa. We also employ a full-time administrative assistant, Lakeesha Winston, and a software engineer, Kala Raman. The lab retains an annual average of twelve engineering graduate students and postdoctoral fellows as well as two clinical MD researchers. Our average monthly 3D volume has increased more than ten fold to 750 examinations.

In 1996, Co-Directors Geoffrey Rubin, MD, and Sandy Napel, PhD, created the 3D laboratory with the mission of developing and applying innovative techniques for the efficient analysis and display of medical imaging data through interdisciplinary collaboration. Ten years later, this mission continues to drive our operations and infuses our clinical, educational, and research goals. Clinically, our objective is to deliver 3D imaging advances as rapidly as possible following validation by the Stanford and worldwide healthcare communities. The 3D laboratory operates simultaneously in two locations: the first floor of the Lucas Center in P170 and the third floor of the James H. Clark Center in room S344 (next door to Peet's Coffee). We have processed over 44,000 examinations since our inception in 1996 (see figure 1). The lab provides 3D services for nearly every clinical department at the Stanford Medical Center. Ninety percent of our referrals are from CT examinations; the remainder is from MRI studies. With rapid advances in CT and MRI scanning over the past ten years, our 3D examinations now provide a larger range of coverage with better temporal and spatial resolution (see images 1, 2, and 3).

Our educational aim is to disseminate knowledge and duplicate our 3D services at other institutions by providing training for local and international physicians and technologists in the latest developments in 3D imaging. The 3D lab is attended by a rotation of Stanford Radiology fellows, residents, and medical students who are acquiring skills in 3D interpretation, which will be useful in their future clinical practices. In response to the external demand for 3D imaging training, the 3D lab has sponsored an increasing number of domestic and international visiting radiologists and technologists who have sought training through our 3D clinical fellowship program. We average three to five visiting fellows per month from a combination of local, national, and international hospitals and medical centers.

To fulfill our research goals, we are developing new approaches to the exploration and analysis of diagnostic images that will create new and more cost-effective diagnostic approaches as well as new techniques for the design and planning of therapy. The students and fellows we educate also make important contributions to our research by developing new image processing techniques. Professor Sandy Napel is the advisor of several PhD candidates and, occasionally, postdoctoral fellows. Each does research on a challenging area of image processing, such as the computer-aided detection of cancerous polyps on CT colon studies.

As we enter our second decade, the 3D Medical Imaging Lab continues to function as an international leader in clinical care, teaching, and research in medical imaging analysis. The confluence of talented medical and engineering expertise in our Department as well as the most up-to-date equipment has been a consistent source of innovative developments in our diagnostic and treatment planning approaches.

Figure 1. Annual volume of exams processed by the 3D laboratory over the past ten years.

Image 1. Example of a full-range maximum intensity projection (MIP) from 1996. This 3D image was acquired on a GE Advantage Windows workstation.

Image 2. Example of a full-range aorto-iliac runoff CT angiogram (MIP) image from 2006. Notice the improved spatial resolution and increased anatomical coverage. This image was acquired on a GE Advantage Windows workstation.

Image 3. Volume Rendered 3D image of the heart, demonstrating improved temporal resolution.

New Staff Hires and Promotions: January 2007-April 2007

(Images courtesy of Mark Riesenberger)

Andrew Kloak has been the faculty affairs assistant for Anita McMillan, faculty affairs administrator, since January of 2007. A native of Chicago, he graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a BA in history; served as the managing editor of the weekly newspaper, The River North News; and subsequently, ran his own building and transportation consulting business. Moving to the Bay Area in 1999, Mr. Kloak worked for five years as the administrative manager for the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority, a regional governmental agency in Menlo Park, California. Prior to coming to our Department, he served as a fellowship manager for the Freeman Spogli Institute (FSI) for International Studies at Encina Hall on the Stanford campus.

Shyam Panchal, MACI, became the clinical project manager in March of 2007 reporting to Dr. Rusty Hofmann, chief of interventional radiology. He received his BS in microbiology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and his MA in clinical investigation from the Boston University School of Medicine. Mr. Panchal's areas of expertise include clinical trial design and conduct. He has been involved with clinical operations, research, and trial development since 1998 when he served as a clinical microbiologist and histologist aide at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose, California. From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Panchal was also the lead clinical database architect for three global clinical trials at Abbott Laboratories: Providing Regional Observations to Study Predictors of Events in the Coronary Tree (PROSPECT), a vulnerable plaque study; ABSORB-FIM, a study on the bioabsorbable coronary stent; and SPIRIT-V, a post-marketing study for XIENCE V CE. Although new to our Department, Mr. Panchal has worked at Stanford in the past. In 1999, he served as an emergency room assistant for Stanford Emergency Services, and from 2000 to 2004, he worked as the clinical research associate for the comparative and clinical studies of the cardiac transplant population in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.

Helen Roque was hired as an administrative associate in March of 2007 reporting to Dr. Ann Leung, associate chair for clinical affairs and section chief of thoracic imaging. Ms. Roque has a long history of working at Stanford University as an administrative associate in the Division of Cardiology in the Pediatrics Department and in the Pathology Department. Her duties in the Division of Cardiology included providing administrative support to the Division and the Division Chief; administering postdoctoral affairs; and coordinating the Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship and clerkship programs. In Pathology, Ms. Roque was responsible for a variety of activities including the annual salary setting process; the staff employee recruitment and selection process; the administration of personnel transactions and payroll administration; and coordinating and processing employment visas. Prior to working at Stanford, she served as a human resources administrator at the Communication Intelligence Corporation in Redwood Shores, California, and as a human resources specialist, compensation analyst, and personnel administrator at Logitech Inc. in Fremont, California.

Anouncements III: April 2007

Stanford Baseball--Faculty and Staff Free on Fridays: April 27, and May 11, 2007
Wellness Fair: May 9, 2007
Multicultural Springfest: May 24, 2007

Stanford Baseball: Friday, April 27, and Friday, May 11, 2007, 6 PM at Sunken Diamond, located between the Avery Aquatic Center and Maloney Field, off of Nelson Road. With a valid Stanford University ID, all faculty and staff will receive free admission to the home baseball games on Friday nights during the regular season (with the exception of the game on May 18 vs. Pacific). There are two Friday-night home games left: the game on April 27 vs. Oregon State at 6 PM and the game on May 11 vs. Washington at 6 PM. For more information on Stanford Baseball, please see http://gostanford.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/stan-m-basebl-body.html.

Wellness Fair: Wednesday, May 9, 2007, 10 AM to 3 PM at the Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation on campus (http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2007/april18/wellness-041807.html). In partnership with the Department of Athletics, Physical Education, Recreation & Wellness, the Benefits Department is hosting a Wellness Fair on May 9, 2007, from 10 AM to 3 PM to help University employees develop healthier lifestyles.

Personal trainers will be working with participants to assess their fitness levels, and participants can have their blood pressure, body fat, bone density, strength, and flexibility measured. Those who would like their cholesterol levels measured must schedule an appointment in advance by going to http://www.wellcall.com/ (first-time users will need to register and use the password "stanford" in lowercase). The Stanford Blood Mobile will be there for those who would like to donate blood. To do so, please schedule an appointment in advance at http://membersforlife.org/stanford/mobilesch/search.php (find "Stanford," then "May 9," and follow the instructions).

Health-care vendors will also be discussing the Stanford-sponsored rewards program offered by all health plans except Kaiser. By participating in a wellness or exercise program offered by their health plan, participants can receive a monetary reward (for more information, please see http://benefitsu.stanford.edu/medical/medical/wellness.html).

The Wellness Fair will offer participants additional opportunities to

--enjoy healthy-cooking demonstrations;

--try out cardio equipment such as stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, and rowing machines;

--get bike safety checks;

--receive giveaways and enter drawings for larger prizes;

--and observe Pilates, fencing, rock climbing, self-defense, and yoga class demonstrations.

Multicultural Springfest: May 24, 2007, 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM at the Frost Amphitheater on campus (http://www.stanford.edu/dept/diversityaccess/springfest.html). The Multicultural Springfest is a celebration of our staff and its diversity, sponsored by the Diversity & Access Office; Human Resources Services; the Office of the President & Provost; and various Stanford Staff Groups. The 2007 Springfest will feature entertainment, art displays, free food, t-shirts, and raffle prizes. Volunteers are needed to exhibit their art; greet people; pass out programs; distribute t-shirts; collect raffle tickets; and assist the entertainers/artists. To volunteer, please go to http://www.stanford.edu/dept/diversityaccess/volunteerform.html. For more information or for disability related accommodations, please call (650) 725-0326 or email disability.access@stanford.edu.

The Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence Focused on Therapy Response (CCNE-TR) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Annual Site Visit, March 30, 2007

By Julie Ruiz, PhD

Over 75 visitors from a variety of universities, foundations, and industries attended the CCNE-TR/NCI annual site visit organized by Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD, professor of radiology and bioengineering; director of the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford; chief of the Nuclear Medicine Division; and principal investigator of the CCNE-TR. The annual CCNE-TR/NCI site visit provides an opportunity for the NCI to review and experience CCNE-TR research and enables the scientists involved in the multiple cores of the CCNE-TR to convene in one meeting and share their scientific progress.

(Image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger)

Dean Philip Pizzo, MD, and Beverly Mitchell, MD, director of the Cancer Center, were among the 20 speakers presenting in the Clark Center. The site visit also included presentations featuring such topics as the proteomic identification of markers of therapeutic response in prostate cancer; the biological modification of quantum dots for in vivo targeting; and mouse cancer models for integrated tissue/serum proteomics and molecular imaging.

Like scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), researchers at the CCNE-TR are convinced that nanotechnology will make a significant impact on cancer diagnosis and management in potentially revolutionary ways. The goal of the CCNE-TR is to develop and validate nanotechnology so that it will be possible to predict which patients will likely respond to a specific anti-cancer therapy and to monitor their response to therapy. Because of our investments in faculty and infrastructure, Stanford Radiology was selected in 2006 as one of eight institutions in the nation to receive support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop the CCNE-TR. This Center includes scientists from Stanford and from six other sites across the country: the University of California at Los Angeles; the University of Texas at Austin; the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Cedars Sinai; Intel; and the General Electric Global Research Center. The CCNE-TR has greatly expanded our Department's collaborative efforts, and we now work with an additional 35 faculty in more than 20 departments here at Stanford and across the country.

Announcements II: April 2007

Dana Foundation Funding Opportunity: May 1, 2007
Stanford Spring Faire: May 11, 12, and 13, 2007

Funding Opportunity from the Dana Foundation: Using Brain and Immune Imaging Innovations to Improve Human Health: Internal Deadline: Tuesday, May 1, 2007

The research program at the Dana Foundation focuses on improving human brain and immune system functioning in health and disease and supports the pilot-testing of promising but high-risk innovative ideas that have direct clinical application. Following an internal selection process, two projects will be selected, one for each of two tracks identified by the Dana Foundation: 1) Track A: brain anatomical imaging or physiological function and 2) Track B: cellular and molecular imaging of brain cells or immune cells. Please note the internal deadline is Tuesday, May 1, 2007. For complete information on the eligibility requirements, funding amounts, and submission process, please see http://med.stanford.edu/rmg/funding/dana.html. For previously funded projects, please see http://www.dana.org/grants/health.

Stanford Spring Faire: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 11, 12, and 13, 2007

The annual Stanford Spring Faire will feature over 100 artisans who will be exhibiting and selling their work during Mother's Day weekend. This fine arts and crafts faire is free and open to the public. The Stanford Spring Faire is the sole source of funding for the Bridge Peer Counseling Center, which has put on the Stanford Spring Faire since 1970. Please come out and support them!

New Faculty Hires and Promotions: March-April 2007

Laura Varich, MD, has been promoted to clinical associate professor effective April 1, 2007. She was born and raised in the peninsula and completed her undergraduate and medical school education at UC Davis. Dr. Varich finished her radiology residency at UC San Diego Medical Center and her fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital. For close to nine years, she has worked as a clinician/educator in pediatric radiology at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. She is currently the associate program director for pediatric radiology, and she is active in the educational process for medical students, radiology residents, and pediatric radiology fellows. In recognition for her outstanding teaching, she has received two resident teaching awards. When she is not working, she enjoys raising her two daughters, bicycle riding, and painting.
(Image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger)

Awards and Honors: March-April 2007

Scott W. Atlas, MD, professor and chief of neuroradiology and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, has been accorded a grant from the Presidential Fund for Innovation in International Studies to support his research project, "Health Care for One Billion: Experimenting with Incentives for the Supply of Health Care in Rural China." Along with Scott Rozelle, PhD, Helen F. Farnsworth senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Dr. Atlas is examining the effects of existing health policies and institutions in rural China. Their project also studies a practice common in China's healthcare system that allows physicians both to prescribe drugs and to receive a large profit from drug sales. Their research experiments with realigning the incentives surrounding this practice. Dr. Atlas has also recently received a Fulbright Scholar Award to collaborate with leaders in China on improving and restructuring the healthcare system in China, a system that has dramatically devolved over the course of the past decade despite significant economic development in other areas. This year, Presidential Fund grants at Stanford were awarded to faculty teams composed of faculty from different disciplines who do not usually work together. Their projects had to involve collaborative research and teaching and to address one of three primary areas: the societal and security implications caused by China's female deficit; incentives to provide healthcare services in rural China; and the impact of higher education's rapid expansion in developing countries. For more information, please see http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2007/february28/presfund-022807.html.

Feng Cao, PhD, postdoctoral scholar in the Cardiovascular Molecular Imaging Lab, received the 2006 Best Basic Science Paper Award from the journal, Circulation, for her paper, "In Vivo Visualization of Embryonic Stem Cell Survival, Proliferation, and Migration after Cardiac Delivery." In this article, Dr. Cao and colleagues analyze the fate of murine embryonic stem (ES) cells carrying fluorescence, bioluminescence, and positron emission tomography reporter genes transplanted into the heart.

Chona Diosomito, radiology clerical supervisor, received the March Stanford Hospital and Clinics Radiology Wingspread Award from the former recipient. Ms. Diosomito has been working in the scheduling division of Stanford Radiology since January 23, 2006, after moving to California from New York. She has worked in the health-care industry since 1990 as a patient financial services cash control supervisor for St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center, Comprehensive Cancer Center (Aptium Oncology), and Hospital for Special Surgery. Ms. Diosomito's experience as a supervisor has given her an appreciation of how important it is to provide excellent care for each patient. In recognition of her outstanding work, Ms. Diosomito was awarded the Wingspread Award, which is given by one employee to another who has proven that he or she is a "special performer" by demonstrating exemplary performance in areas such as job knowledge; work ethics; communication skills; inter- and intradepartmental relationships; versatility; and judgment. The Wingspread Award gives employees the opportunity to recognize who among them has gone above and beyond the fulfillment of his or her usual duties. Wingspread awardees can keep the award for as long as they wish or until they discover another "special performer." Monthly awarding of the Wingspread honor is encouraged as part of the SHC departmental staff meetings.

Garry E. Gold, MD, associate professor of radiology, has been awarded a 2007 Cum Laude Award for an outstanding paper by the Society of Computed Body Tomography and Magnetic Resonance (SCBT/MR). The title of the paper is "Isotropic MRI with 3D-FSE-XETA (Extended Echo Train Acquisition)" (Gold GE, Busse RF, Stevens KJ, Han E, Brau AC, Beatty PJ, Beaulieu CF).

Sam Mazin, MS, graduate student in the Electrical Engineering Department, has been awarded the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Cum Laude Award for his poster, "A Fast 3D Reconstruction Algorithm for Inverse-Geometry CT Based on an Exact PET Rebinning Algorithm." Only one poster within the "Physics of Medical Imaging" conference can receive this award each year. Cum Laude Awards are bestowed upon scientists who attain a standard of excellence judged by the quality and quantity of their results.

Joseph McGinley, MD, PhD, second-year radiology resident, has been selected as one of six trainees nationwide in radiology and cardiology to participate in the "Siemens Outstanding Academic Research (SOAR) Award Program: Awards for Excellence in Cardiac CT," sponsored by the Society of Cardiac Computed Tomography (SCCT). Dr. McGinley was selected to participate in this program based on his interest in cardiac imaging, current CV, and previous areas of research, which include a PhD in cardiac physiology focused on valvular heart disease from Temple University in Philadelphia. Under this award program, Dr. McGinley has been selected to write and present a review of the CT imaging of valvular heart disease. His manuscript will be published in Applied Radiology, and he will compete with the six other candidates at the 2nd annual meeting of the SCCT in July of 2007 in Washington, D.C. One person will be awarded from each specialty and will receive a six-month funded fellowship in cardiac imaging research as well as funding to return for the annual meeting in 2008.

Teresa Nelson, CRT, MRI supervisor, received the April Stanford Hospital and Clinics Radiology Wingspread Award from the former recipient. Raised in San Carlos, California, Ms. Nelson is a native of the peninsula. In 1994, she graduated with her AS degree from Canada College's Radiology Technology Program and worked at Seton Medical Center in Daly City and California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco. Ms. Nelson started her Stanford career in January of 2000, when she began working in diagnostic radiology and mammography. During the fall of 2001, she completed MRI training and has been the MRI supervisor since 2003. As the MRI supervisor, Ms. Nelson has had the opportunity to train other technologists and engage in research. Last year, she spoke at the Fifth Annual Breast MRI Interpretation, Correlation, and Intervention Continuing Medical Education (CME) Conference in Las Vegas with Anne Marie Sawyer, RT (R) (MR), from the Lucas Center. In recognition of her outstanding work in MRI, Ms. Nelson was awarded the April Wingspread Award, which is given by one employee to another who has proven that he or she is a "special performer" by demonstrating exemplary performance in areas such as job knowledge; work ethics; communication skills; inter- and intradepartmental relationships; versatility; and judgment. The Wingspread Award gives employees the opportunity to recognize who among them has gone above and beyond the fulfillment of his or her usual duties. Wingspread awardees can keep the award for as long as they wish or until they discover another "special performer." Monthly awarding of the Wingspread honor is encouraged as part of the SHC departmental staff meetings.

Sandra Rodriguez, RT (R) (MR), MR research technologist, was awarded a Women's Opportunity Award from the Soroptimist Club. Many Women's Opportunity Award recipients have overcome enormous obstacles in their quest for a better life. The purpose of the awards is to improve the lives of women by giving them the resources that they need to improve their education, skills, and employment prospects. To be eligible for a Women's Opportunity Award, the applicant must provide the primary financial support for her family and must be enrolled in or have been accepted to a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program. Since its inception in 1972, the Women's Opportunity Awards Program has disbursed $15 million and has assisted more than 20,000 women. Ms. Rodriguez is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (B.S.H.A) online program through the University of Phoenix. She anticipates receiving her degree in the 2008/2009 academic year and continuing her education by attaining a Master of Health Administration (MHA).

Ricky Tong, PhD, medical student in the Multimodality Molecular Imaging Lab, was awarded a 2007 Society of Nuclear Medicine Student Fellowship for his proposed project, which involves creating a transgenic mouse with the ubiquitous expression of a triple-fusion reporter protein. Any cells and tissues taken from this universal donor mouse can be traced using three of the most commonly available imaging techniques: bioluminescence, fluorescence, and PET. Dr. Tong's transgenic mouse promises to be an extremely valuable tool in many fields such as cancer and transplant biology.

David N. Tran, medical student at Stanford University, was awarded a "Society of Computed Body Tomography and Magnetic Resonance (SCBT/MR) in Training Award" at the 30th annual 2007 meeting of the Society of Computed Body Tomography and Magnetic Resonance (SCBT/MR). The award is granted to the young investigator who presents the best paper in CT or MR. Mr. Tran's winning paper is entitled, "Promises and Limitations of Dual-Energy CT in Lower Extremity CT Angiography" (Tran DN, Roos J, Straka M, Sandner D, Razavi H, Chang M, Pelc N, Napel S, Fleischmann D). He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, in electrical engineering and is currently a second-year medical student. Mr. Tran's research interests include improving the diagnostic evaluation and treatment planning for patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease, and he is considering diagnostic and interventional radiology as a future clinical career.

Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine (cardiology) and radiology, has received a California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) SEED grant for his work on the in vivo imaging of hESC derivatives and tumorigenicity. Through his research, Dr. Wu is investigating human embryonic stem cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation in vivo to improve the safety of hESC delivery. Selected from among 231 applications, Dr. Wu is one of twelve Stanford principal investigators to be funded in this initial round by the CIRM, which has approved 72 grants totaling approximately $45 million over the next two years.

Announcements I: April 2007

Stanford's Fifth Community Day: April 15, 2007
Administrative Professionals' Day: April 25, 2007
Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day: April 26, 2007
Radiology Staff Retreat: May 7, 2007

Stanford's Fifth Community Day: Sunday, April 15, 2007, 10 AM to 4 PM on the Stanford campus. Community Day is designed to be a free open house, featuring student cultural exhibits and musical performances, science and technology demonstrations, children's activities, tours of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve and the Stanford Barn, sports and athletic demonstrations and a health fair. Two members of the Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center will give lectures; Dr. Geoffrey Gurtner, associate professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery, will speak on the latest in pediatric stem cell medicine, and Dr. Daniel Bernstein, professor of pediatric cardiology, will discuss the latest in pediatric heart health. For a complete schedule, please see http:communityday.stanford.edu.

Come Celebrate Administrative Professionals' Day: Wednesday, April 25, 2007, 8 AM to 12 noon at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center. In honor of this national holiday, Training and Organizational Development, Human Resources, is sponsoring its annual conference for administrative staff (A1-A5) to demonstrate the University's appreciation of you and to provide you with opportunities for your professional development. Please join us for breakfast, opening remarks from Diane Peck, Executive Director of HR, a fun networking activity to get you acquainted with new and old colleagues, and more. There will be give-aways for every attendee as well as a raffle prize drawing at the end of the event. Various departments on campus, including HIP, the Work/Life Office, and Campus Dining, will display booths to inform you of their latest services and resources. You will also have a choice of attending one of three workshops, for which you must pre-register. For more details and registration, please go to: https://hrweb.stanford.edu/training/AADP/conference.html in early March. The program manager is Jackie Ward.

Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day: Thursday, April 26, 2007 from 7:45 AM to 12:15 PM
Who: Girls and Boys, 10-15 years of age
What: A day of exploring possibilities
Where: Workshops are all over campus and registration begins at Dinkelspiel Auditorium

This year's theme is "Revolutionizing the Workplace." Look for more information and registration materials on the University Benefits Work/Life website (http://worklife.stanford.edu) during the last week of March. The program coordinator is Carol Skladany.

Radiology Staff Retreat: Monday, May 7, 2007
We are currently planning a Radiology Staff Retreat for May 7, 2007 at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center on campus at 326 Galvez Street! The retreat will be an all day event; breakfast and lunch will be provided. The goals of the day are team-building activities and lots of fun. We have a fabulous retreat planning committee that includes the following staff members: Deitria Chapman; Gale Evans; Kari Guy; Rita Hernandez; Joe Hubbard; Andrew Kloak; Teresa Newton; Lanzie Rivera; Julie Ruiz; Kathleen Sexton, Training & Organizational Development Specialist; Maureen Wong; and Irina Worthey. Our committee was designed to be representative of the greater whole and is doing the best possible job to make this an enjoyable and relaxing, yet productive, event for all staff. Come prepared for a day of fun and comradery; it will be a blast! You are invited to contact any committee member if you wish to provide input or voice any concerns.

Medical School Office Building (MSOB) and the Center for Clinical Services Research (CCSR) Parking Lot Closures
This spring, Parking and Transportation Services will be closing parking lots located near MSOB and CCSR in stages. These closures will begin April 30 with the partial reduction of parking lot #16, which is the MSOB lot closest to Welch Road. The larger parking lot that extends from CCSR to the Clark Center will probably remain open for another six months and will then be closed in phases until the completion of construction. To compensate for the closure of these parking lots, "A" parking will be increased in the Stockfarm Parking Structure #5 as well as in lots #17 and #18, which are bounded by Campus Drive, Welch Road, Oak Road, and Stockfarm Road. "C" permit parking will not be increased.

The Stanford Hospital and Clinics Digital Image Library

By Julie Ruiz, PhD

(Image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger.)
1st row: Carla (retiring as of 4/3/07), Tori (Victoria), Deborah
2nd row: Nancy, Ofelia, Lorna
3rd row: Louie, Jose, Kiki (LaKitra), Kim
4th row: Greg, Peter

The digital image specialists at the SHC Digital Image Library have a cumulative work experience of over 164 years. The specialists on staff and their years of service to our Department are as follows: Carla (over 33 years); Deborah, Digital Image Library Supervisor, (over 25 years); Greg (over 20 years); Jack (over 16 years); Jose (over 16 years); Peter (over 13 years); Ofelia (over 11 years); Lorna (over 6 years); Louie (over 6 years); Orwson (over 5 years); LaKitra "Kiki" (over 5 years); Nancy (over 5 years); and Kimberly "Kim" (over 3 years).

Our team provides a myriad of services for our Department as well as all other Hospital and clinical departments. These duties include processing requisition forms and sending patient tracking forms to the reading area for radiologists to dictate. Daily reports are utilized by the digital image library staff to insure all imaging exams have been dictated in a timely manner to meet departmental standards. The staff also import outside images from films or CDs into the Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) for comparison purposes. Patient radiology exams are prepared in the format of a CD for case managers and facilities external to Stanford when a patient has been discharged. The staff pulls and delivers exam studies for patient appointments at 10 different clinics. The number of clinic "pulls" has decreased from 20 clinics down to 10 clinics since the introduction of the PACS system.

In addition, the digital image specialists answer phones and manually compile exam folders on the PACS system for the musculoskeletal (MSK) section as well as the chest section. The transcription quality assurance (QA) duties are performed on a daily basis through the combined efforts of the outside transcription company, the radiologist, and the digital image library staff. At least four of the imaging studies that the staff processes on a daily basis are for law suits. They are divided into two categories: litigation cases, which implicate the Hospital as a defendant who is being sued by a patient, and subpoenas, which are used for evidence in a lawsuit and do not directly involve the Hospital as a defendant.

Most of the exam requests processed by the Digital Image Library staff are in digital format, but plain film copies are made upon request.

Stanford Hospital and Clinics Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Program

By Claudia Cooper, CRT, and Teresa Nelson, CRT

(Image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger.)
Front Row: Tessie Reyes, MRI Scheduler; Navy Lu, RT; Marcia Maihack, Radiology Director; Leah Pericolosi, RT
Back Row: Dyana Ireland, RT; Claudia Cooper, RT Manager; Sherrie Lee, CRT; Veronica Simon, MRI Scheduler; Connie Lund, RT; Teresa Nelson, RT

(Image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger.)
Front Row: Russ Jones, RT; Carol Torbett, RT; Eric Gabriel, RT; Back Row: Greg Dowall, RT; Tony Galletta, RT; Sam Dong, RT
Image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger.

When the Radiology Department started the MRI program in 1985, we were one of the very few programs in the Bay Area to have an MRI scanner (GE 1.5T), which was located in Mountain View at our "Advanced Imaging Center." In the early infancy of our program, we had only two pulse sequences: a Spin Echo and a Gradient Recalled Echo (GRE). Contrast was not even developed at that time. Even with the limited pulse sequences, we had a backlog of six to seven weeks! It has only taken us 22 years to get to a four-week backlog. Not bad, don't you think!!

We currently have four GE 1.5T scanners. Two are located at the main Hospital and two at the Blake Wilbur Outpatient Center. We are a full-service imaging facility specializing in the areas of breast, cardiac, functional MRI, and vascular imaging. The MR imaging contributions of Lucas Center colleagues, such as Mark Alley, PhD, Roland Bammer, PhD, Brian Hargreaves, PhD, and Mike Moseley, PhD, have helped to make our Radiology Department cutting-edge. Because of our expertise, we attract patients from around the country.

We also work closely with the General Electric (GE) research team at the Advanced Science Lab West (ASL), located in Menlo Park. Using images acquired by our Department, GE submitted an abstract at the 2006 Society of Magnetic Resonance Technologists (SMRT) on the advantages of ARC versus Asset and won first place! Our program was also a beta site for GE's 14.0 software. As we are all aware, being a beta site comes with many challenges. Our technologists have done a wonderful job accepting these challenges, and they remain very patient with us. We have 17 great technologists from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. A few of our technologists have over 15 years of experience; some have 5 to 10 years of experience; and others are just starting their MRI careers. Most of our technologists have been recruited from within the Radiology Department. Outside of the University, the reputation of our Department has allowed us to recruit technologists from across the country who are eager to work with world-renowned radiologists, such as Robert Herfkens, MD.

In the future, we will be installing two 3T MRI scanners at our Palo Alto outpatient imaging center on Sherman Ave., which will be operational in early 2008. We will also install three more 3T MRI scanners at our "North Campus" outpatient facility. The rapid growth of MRI from two pulse sequences in the '80s to countless sequences in the twenty-first century makes the future of MRI look even brighter for diagnosing and treating our patients.

Quick Stats: PET/CT Clinical Volume Growth (SHC)

This chart graphs the rapid growth in PET/CT clinical volume at SHC by fiscal year (9/1-8/31). For the fiscal year of 2007, we have completed 1,387 PET/CT cases so far, which represents a 235.8% change in growth from when we began PET/CT in January of 2003.