Medical Imaging Management - AHRA · Beyond medical imaging management •• May lead to other career May lead to other career opportunities opportunities –– Vendor salesVendor

Medical Imaging Management:Medical Imaging Management:A Career Path

Are you considering a career in Are you considering a career in medical imaging management?medical imaging management?

What are your personal What are your personal strengths and weaknesses?strengths and weaknesses?

Leaders must:Leaders must:

•• Be self awareBe self aware•• Be organizedBe organized•• Have control over their Have control over their

emotions emotions •• Be self confident Be self confident •• Have integrityHave integrity•• Possess mature thinking Possess mature thinking

skillsskills•• Possess strong financial Possess strong financial

acumenacumen

•• Be committedBe committed•• Be accountableBe accountable•• Be willing to take risksBe willing to take risks•• Possess good Possess good

interpersonal skillsinterpersonal skills–– Effective verbal and Effective verbal and

written communicators written communicators –– Effective listenersEffective listeners

Why should you pursue a career in Why should you pursue a career in imaging management?imaging management?

•• Desire to work with Desire to work with people and lead teamspeople and lead teams

•• Ready for a role more Ready for a role more integrated in facilityintegrated in facility’’s s operationsoperations

•• Ready to take on Ready to take on more responsibilitymore responsibility


•• Desire to work within all areas of imaging Desire to work within all areas of imaging department and beyond to improve patient department and beyond to improve patient quality care and processes, eg:quality care and processes, eg:

―― Other departmentsOther departments―― Referring physiciansReferring physicians―― RadiologistsRadiologists―― StaffStaff

―― NursingNursing―― Academic centersAcademic centers―― StudentsStudents


•• Interested in learning the Interested in learning the business side of healthcarebusiness side of healthcare

•• Strategic planning, creating Strategic planning, creating budgets, and responding to budgets, and responding to external environment external environment changes effecting changes effecting reimbursement are all skills reimbursement are all skills that can be used in many that can be used in many types of businessestypes of businesses


•• Leadership opportunities Leadership opportunities –– Participate in projects that affect the entire facility Participate in projects that affect the entire facility

and interact with many individuals across the facility. and interact with many individuals across the facility. –– Mentor/educate technologists to facilitate career Mentor/educate technologists to facilitate career

development and improve employee tenure.development and improve employee tenure.–– Encourage commitment to quality and excellenceEncourage commitment to quality and excellence–– Take part in the decision process that will shape the Take part in the decision process that will shape the

profession today, tomorrow, and in the futureprofession today, tomorrow, and in the future

•• Develop and implement Develop and implement strategic and business strategic and business plans, policies, procedures, plans, policies, procedures, and processesand processes

•• Prepare and manage Prepare and manage budgetsbudgets

•• Market products to Market products to community and physicianscommunity and physicians

•• Oversee imaging Oversee imaging construction projectsconstruction projects

•• Regulatory complianceRegulatory compliance•• Must be available on a Must be available on a

24/7 basis24/7 basis•• Long term planningLong term planning

–– Eg, investigate, determine Eg, investigate, determine return on investment, return on investment, recommend, and recommend, and implement future implement future technologiestechnologies

What is involved in a What is involved in a management position?management position?


•• Work with radiologists Work with radiologists and referring physicians, and referring physicians, academic centers, and academic centers, and nonnon--imaging staffimaging staff

•• Communicate to and Communicate to and involve staff in facilityinvolve staff in facility’’s s visionvision

•• Mentor staffMentor staff


•• Hire and supervise all nonHire and supervise all non--physician employees, physician employees, eg:eg:

–– Job analysis and designJob analysis and design–– Recruitment and retentionRecruitment and retention–– Training and developmentTraining and development–– Performance managementPerformance management

–– Pay structurePay structure–– Incentives and benefitsIncentives and benefits–– Labor and employee Labor and employee relationsrelations

How should you pursue a career in How should you pursue a career in medical imaging management?medical imaging management?

1.1. Education/certificationEducation/certification2.2. Experience levelsExperience levels3.3. Other ways to prepareOther ways to prepare


1. Education/certification1. Education/certification


•• 2 year associate degree program2 year associate degree program•• 2 year hospital based certificate program2 year hospital based certificate program•• 4 year baccalaureate degree program4 year baccalaureate degree program•• Many careers based on minimum baccalaureate Many careers based on minimum baccalaureate

degree with experience in an area of special degree with experience in an area of special interestsinterests


•• Masters Masters –– Business administrationBusiness administration–– Health administrationHealth administration–– Radiologic science Radiologic science

administration and/or administration and/or educationeducation

•• Certified Radiology Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA) Administrator (CRA)


2. Experience Levels2. Experience Levels


•• Between 2Between 2--5 years 5 years technical experience to technical experience to reach supervisory levelreach supervisory level–– Becoming a great Becoming a great

manager requires manager requires experience, commitment, experience, commitment, due diligence, and due diligence, and accountability.accountability.


•• Other technologist opportunities for Other technologist opportunities for professional development and advancement: professional development and advancement: –– vendor salesvendor sales–– business consultingbusiness consulting–– product specialistproduct specialist–– application specialistapplication specialist–– radiology information system (RIS) managementradiology information system (RIS) management–– risk managementrisk management–– health informatics and information managementhealth informatics and information management


•• At least 3At least 3--5 years of supervisory experience to 5 years of supervisory experience to reach management level reach management level –– Entry level management positions: Entry level management positions:

3 years of working in the area 3 years of working in the area –– Mid to upper management positions: Mid to upper management positions:

5 years experience in a clinical setting5 years experience in a clinical setting


3. Other ways to prepare3. Other ways to prepare


•• Check with your Check with your organization to see what organization to see what programs they may offerprograms they may offer–– Eg, internal and external Eg, internal and external

leadership development leadership development programsprograms

•• Find a mentor Find a mentor –– Let your manager know Let your manager know

you are interested in one you are interested in one day moving up. Ask for day moving up. Ask for their help and guidance.their help and guidance.

•• Join and become Join and become involved in an involved in an organization/association organization/association with a focus on with a focus on leadership development, leadership development, eg, AHRA.eg, AHRA.

•• Internships, coachingInternships, coaching


•• Participate, assist, or lead in projects, task forces, Participate, assist, or lead in projects, task forces, and committees. and committees. –– Get an idea of what happens in management Get an idea of what happens in management –– Show your desire and capabilities to current leadersShow your desire and capabilities to current leaders


•• Participate, assist, or lead in projects, task forces, Participate, assist, or lead in projects, task forces, and committees, eg:and committees, eg:

•• Become versed in Joint Become versed in Joint Commission preparednessCommission preparedness

•• Develop patient safety initiativesDevelop patient safety initiatives•• Develop financial goals/cost Develop financial goals/cost

saving initiativessaving initiatives•• Develop new protocolsDevelop new protocols

•• Contribute to positive Contribute to positive outcomes for customer service outcomes for customer service and quality assuranceand quality assurance•• Develop strategies to Develop strategies to bring cohesiveness to negative bring cohesiveness to negative and conflicting circumstances.and conflicting circumstances.

•• Increased responsibility motivates most people Increased responsibility motivates most people to do their best.to do their best.

Beyond medical imaging Beyond medical imaging managementmanagement

•• May lead to other career May lead to other career opportunities opportunities –– Vendor salesVendor sales–– Business consultingBusiness consulting–– Product specialistProduct specialist–– Higher management positions, eg, Higher management positions, eg,

VP Operations, COO, CIO, CEOVP Operations, COO, CIO, CEO–– Education related positions, eg, director/coordinator Education related positions, eg, director/coordinator forfor academic programacademic program

“Radiology is never boring. In the 25 years I have been in the field, it is constantly changing. If you like this environment and you feel like you have good organizational skills, good interpersonal skills, and the desire to work in a business environment, it might a good fit. It is quite a bit of work, butit is very rewarding when a new technology gets implemented. I find it very satisfying and fulfilling.”

Words of advice from todayWords of advice from today’’s medical imaging s medical imaging managers to the managers of tomorrowmanagers to the managers of tomorrow


“Do not allow yourself to get stagnant in your career. I would challenge you to pursue advanced certification, degrees, and learn about processes outside of your circle in order to get a fuller understanding of healthcare as a system. This requires self-initiative. If a door does not easily open, then find a way around it but do not stop simply because it does not fall into your lap. Be determined, be resilient, and find that opportunity!”


“There is not a guaranteed plan that will make you successful in the medical imaging field. The only guarantee of which you can be sure: if you never give up and keep working hard, success will come. It's all right today to be a little unsure of the future, it's all right to take a job a little different from the one you expected, or to have to wait a bit on getting into school. In this way, you may end up learning about yourself and what's good for you in the long run.”


“Everyday is an opportunity to learn something new. Do not let complacency or the complacency of others steal your desire for success. When you feel that you are successful in one area then ask to get cross trained in another. Most importantly, continue to take time to advance your education. Expanding your job knowledge as well as your education will be what sets you apart from your peers and open new doors for career advancement.”

AHRA: The Association for Medical AHRA: The Association for Medical Imaging ManagementImaging Management

MISSION: AHRA is a resource and catalyst for the development of professional leadership in medical imaging management.

Medical Imaging Management - AHRA · Beyond medical imaging management •• May lead to other career May lead to other career opportunities opportunities –– Vendor salesVendor

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