Information for Patients
Thoracic Imaging
Thoracic Imaging specializes in the diagnosis of diseases and disorders of the lungs, mediastinum, airway, pleura and chest wall. The staff members are diagnostic experts in critical care, thoracic trauma, pulmonary thromboembolic disease, diseases of the thoracic aorta, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, emphysema, asthma, infectious diseases in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients, and occupational lung disease. We routinely employ breast shielding techniques to minimize radiation dose exposure during diagnostic chest CT examinations and are actively involved in research to further reduce such exposures.
More than 78,000 chest radiographic and 16,000 chest CT and CTA examinations are interpreted annually by our staff. Numerous biopsies of pulmonary and mediastinal lesions and pleural drainage procedures are also performed each week. Our staff consists of three full-time thoracic imaging specialists and four board certified radiologists who are committed to using the newest technologies to diagnose and evaluate a broad spectrum of diseases.
All imaging is fully digitized on a recently upgraded state-of-art McKesson PACS system. TeraRecon multiplanar and 3-D workstations and hospital RIS access are available at each radiologist’s personal PACS station. PowerScribe — a flexible Web based speech recognition system — was upgraded to the latest version in June 2009. These technologic advances allow Thoracic Imaging staff to be both effective and efficient consultants and afford the expeditious turnaround time of reports to both staff and non-staff physicians serving the hospital, the three out-patient clinics and the neighboring communities.
Thoracic Imaging works in close association with the Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, Thoracic Surgery, and Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery, as well as other subspecialty programs. Daily clinical-radiologic rounds are conducted with the Medical Respiratory Intensive Care Unit staff, fellows and residents. A weekly Thoracic Imaging-Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine Imaging Conference is also held. This popular multi-disciplinary conference is attended not only by radiology, critical care and pulmonary medicine, but also by thoracic surgery, internal medicine and pulmonary pathology. Members also participate in a weekly multispeciality Chest Tumor Conference at the Massey Cancer Center and a weekly quality assurance conference.
Members of Thoracic Imaging offer the unique skill of B-reading expertise, a service delivered by only a few hundred radiologists across the U.S. due to the extensive special training and certification required by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). B-reading allows the grading of a patient’s chest images to quantify the specific findings and assess any damage that may have occurred as a result of occupational exposure to various inorganic dusts and compounds.
Thoracic Imaging has an extensive education program. Two to three radiology residents at various levels of training and two to four fourth year medical students rotate through our specialty on a monthly basis. Two imaging conferences are held with the radiology residents each month. Mock oral board examinations are given to each resident rotating through the service at the completion of their rotation. Beginning in July 2009, under staff supervision, residents will be responsible for developing a “Case of the Week” to be posted on the internet and used as an educational tool. A one-year fellowship program devoted exclusively to Thoracic Imaging is also offered.
Our staff is actively involved with several national organizations including the Society of Thoracic Radiology, American College of Radiology, American Roentgen Ray Society and the Radiological Society of North America. Our section chief is also a member of the American College of Radiology’s Continuous Professional Improvement Committee (CPI), coauthoring modules that combine images, questions, answers, rationales and references into one publication for an authentic self-assessment, CME and SAM credits, as well as serves as an oral examiner for the American Board of Radiology, and has coauthored the thoracic imaging textbook, “Teaching Atlas in Chest Imaging.”
Chief
Mark S. Parker, M.D.
Professor
Section Chief, Thoracic Imaging
Department of Radiology
Phone: (804) 828-5064
Fax: (804) 628-1132
E-mail: msparker@vcu.edu
Administrative assistant
Betty Arkwright
Phone: (804) 828-0534
Fax: (804) 628-1132
E-mail: barkwright@mcvh-vcu.edu