October 16, 2007 - The Joint Commission recently announced it has received a $198,000 grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for a one-year study of the potential risks and weaknesses of inaccurate or incomplete pre-operative nursing assessments in ambulatory surgery centers.

One of my favorite movies is “Apollo 13.” For those of you who have not had the privilege of seeing this awe-inspiring movie, you should take the time to do so.
Not only does the story line fit well with the current challenges facing the imaging industry, but it also speaks to the importance of technology. Isn’t’ it funny how technology can offer us so much all at once? It can yield incredible and groundbreaking results yet be dangerous and costly – all at the same time.


Earlier this year when my mom went in for knee replacement surgery, I witnessed first hand numerous medical technologies — and clinicians — in action.

As the “guns” used to shoot radioactive seeds into or around a tumor for brachytherapy, afterloading devices may seem like a rather simple technology.
But that’s a misnomer. Manufacturers of these high-tech devices have made clear strides over the years in improving the design and function of the technology – including the guns and the cancer-killing bullets themselves.

Donald Fuller, M.D., is a board certified radiation oncologist with CyberKnife Centers of San Diego Inc. Dr. Fuller earned his doctorate at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He completed his internship at Santa Barbara (CA) Cottage Hospital and his radiation oncology residency at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City. He is certified by the American Board of Radiology in Radiation Oncology.

The changing demographic of patient care within this nation’s hospitals and healthcare systems is driving a need for better treatment technologies within every arena of care. More routine patient care is being serviced in outpatient clinics, outpatient surgical centers and similar venues. That said, many patients that are being treated within the hospital setting are critical care patients and/or patients with many more complex treatment issues than ever before.


Anesthesia depends on a constant flow of reliable physiological and respiratory gas data in order to properly manage a patient before, during and after a surgical procedure.
Sounds simple enough.
But in a profession known for reforming and policing itself after being rocked decades ago by malpractice lawsuits, machines that deliver anesthesia today have become reliable yet sophisticated and complex workhorses that have greatly restored the clinical community’s confidence in this age-old procedure.
From Liability to Reliability

October 16, 2007 - Carestream Health Inc. debuted its new KODAK DRYVIEW 6800 Laser Imager that offers high-speed, high-resolution image output for general radiography and digital mammography applications, reportedly ideal for breast imaging centers, emergency rooms and outpatient imaging centers, as well as radiology departments.

October 16, 2007 - FUJIFILM U.S.A. Inc. has announced a combined effort with Longs Drugs to promote breast cancer awareness throughout the month of October in more than 470 Longs Drugs in California, Hawaii and Nevada, supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s (NBCF) mission to save lives through breast cancer education and programs that provide for the screening of underserved women.

October 16, 2007 - The Healthcare division of Richardson Electronics announced that it has signed a reseller agreement with SEWP IV contract holder, Intelligent Decisions of Ashburn, VA., allowing both companies to further access the federal healthcare IT marketplace and provide additional products and services to existing Veteran’s Affairs, Military and civilian healthcare institutions in North America.

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