AHRA – Any Advice for a First-Time Attendee?

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What topics in healthcare imaging interest you the most?

August is a bit of a milestone for me. I will be six months into my new position as social media manager at Carestream and I’m going to my first radiology trade show – AHRA. I’ve been to numerous trade shows in other industries, and I always enjoy the energy of the events.

At AHRA, I’m eager to hear firsthand about the trials and tribulations of healthcare imaging from our customers and industry thought leaders. I’ll also be on the prowl for great content for Carestream’s blog, Everything Rad. Being a social media manager, I plan to take and post lots of photos and quotable quotes. I also hope to capture and share attendees’ insights on their biggest pain points and upcoming changes that excite them.

Here are the sessions I plan to attend. I’d love to hear the feedback of veteran attendees: are there other must-see speakers I should squeeze into my schedule Sunday, Monday or Tuesday?  Any advice for navigating the labyrinth of the Opryland Resort and Convention Center? Suggestions for great places to eat in Nashville are also welcome!

My first session is on Sunday: Planning for a Technology Driven Department. Enrico Perez, BS, RT, CRA, FAHRA, of Winthrop University Hospital will talk about the daunting task of future planning for departments and areas where imaging plays a key role. He states that, “this requires an understanding of what exists, the expectation of your customer and the visions for the future since we know our designs that are expandable, the systems upgradeable, and how we integrate with other systems in use are key to our success.”

On Monday, I’ll join the thousand-plus other attendees for the keynote opening by Christine Cashen: “Stop Global Whining!” I’m eager to learn some ideas for “creating a better day with more energy”. Then I’ll head to the Carestream booth – #424 – to introduce myself to some of the industry’s leading journalists: David Yeager of Radiology Today; Jeff Zagoudis from Imaging Technology News; and Liza Haar and John Currid of Diagnostic Imaging.

I wrap up the afternoon with two interesting sessions. Judith Atkins, RN, MSN of McKenna Consulting will describe the 2016 Joint Commission’s standards for hospital imaging departments and their relationship to patient safety. And Shawn McKenzie, MPA of Ascendian Healthcare Consulting, will provide some history and his perspective on the hot topic of “constructed versus deconstructed PACS”.

I’ll need an early wakeup call for Tuesday’s 7 a.m. update by the Advisory Board Company on the imaging market: “Key Forces Shaping Imaging Economics”. Next up is “Six Tenets to Enterprise Imaging Strategy” presented by Jef Williams, MBA, PMP, CIIP at Paragon Consulting. I’ll have time for a quick coffee break before heading to the day’s keynote session on “How to Future-Proof Yourself, Fearlessly Innovate, and Succeed in the New Normal” by Scott Steinberg. After that, I’ll spend a few hours in the Carestream booth before getting on a plane back to Rochester NY.

Visit the Carestream booth or stop me in the halls if you’d like to share your perspective on the challenges and triumphs your organization is experiencing. And I’m always open to suggestions for blog topics – and authors – for our Everything Rad blog. See you in Nashville! #AHRA

Katie Remis is Carestream’s social media manager. Send her ideas for blog topics at Katie.remis@www.carestream.com

Thanks to AHRA for sending me this link to their guidebook  and an article with tips for first-time attendees!