UNC Department of Radiology Chair
UNC Department of Radiology begins 2018 with multiple efforts underway, many of them built on the strengths of prior years. Alumni giving, outpatient expansion and achievement amongst our managers in recent years are all indicators of a positive direction in 2018 for our Department.
A year ago, we were pleased at the generosity of 2016 calendar year donors in supporting our academic radiology endeavors via our four departmental funds. The addition of a new fund in 2017 reinforces the likelihood that yearly giving totals will remain strong.
For 2017, we are hoping for an even stronger base of contributions, given the addition of a new fund last year. When 50+-year School of Medicine faculty member and Chairman Emeritus Dr. James H. Scatliff passed in April 2017, an outpouring of alumni and department members wanted to honor his years of leadership and passion for teaching medicine. The James H. Scatliff Memorial Fund has become the Department’s latest avenue for supporting teaching academic radiology and other medical instruction at UNC’s School of Medicine.
Beyond this most recent addition, our longer-term funds offset a range of departmental expenses, including: 1) residency-related board examination and conference travel (Charles A. and Catherine R. Bream Fund); 2) Division of Neuroradiology research, an annual lecture and visiting professorships (Wood Fund for Advancement of Neuroradiology); and 3) resident didactic- and research-related scholarly activities (Radiology Education and Research Fund).
Since UNC Physicians Network (UNC PN) was established 2012, over 250 primary care and specialty providers across 50 practices have supported UNC PN’s clinical services in 13 North Carolina counties. Our Department has been integral to UNC PN’s growth over the past five years through establishing imaging outpatient services where UNC PN primary clinics are located across North Carolina. As we further our outpatient expansion via UNC PN, we also plan to grow our affiliate hospital presence in 2018 through introducing services at UNC Health Care-affiliated Chatham Hospital later year. I look forward to giving an update on our progress in a later newsletter.
Administrator leadership and skill sets can sometimes be overlooked when faculty are routinely honored for scholarly accomplishments. In summer 2017, the Department’s Clinical Research Manager Terry Hartman was elected Chair of the UNC Network of Research Professionals (NRP), term beginning July 2018. For several years, Terry’s oversight of the Department’s Clinical Research Group has encompassed such clinical and translational research duties as patient recruitment, developing research protocols, coordinating clinical trials and assisting IRB submission. Terry’s qualifications make him highly suited to serving as UNC NRP’s next Chair We admire his dedication to a NC TraCS-sponsored community that upholds helping University faculty find best clinical, social, and translational research practices.
We also want to recognize the Department’s Manager of Radiology Informatics and Outreach, Jay Crawford, for receiving his degree of Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA) in December 2017 from MUSC. For years, Jay has overseen the Department’s provision of outreach imaging services to NC DHHS-run hospitals and private healthcare facilities. During his doctoral studies, Jay examined the neuroimaging impact on a hospitalized psychiatric patient’s total emergency department length of stay. Such an advanced application of imaging services informatics positions Jay and our Outreach team to determine together even better, more efficient ways of providing services remotely to the healthcare facilities we serve.
Lastly, we would like to thank our outgoing Associate Chair of Administration (ACA), Bob Collichio, for his 12 years of service with the Department. Valued and well-liked by faculty and staff alike, Bob has applied a terrific balance of operational understanding and interpersonal benevolence to his role in the Department. As Bob steps into a supporting role, we welcome Dan Boughton in his place as our newest ACA. In side-by-side offices for many years, Bob and Dan have worked closely on our Department’s major operational areas at UNC Hospitals and UNC Health Care affiliates statewide. Watching the transition of this position in recent months has worked incredibly well, and I’m pleased we have strong administration in place as we begin a new calendar year.
