Radiology Management - January/February 2011

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Guiding Principles

By Debra L. Murphy

We’ve all dealt with difficult people. It’s the choices we make in how to
deal with them and how deeply we let them affect us that can actually make
the experience useful. For example, I recently saw that a book I had been an
editor on years ago is coming out in a new edition. Oh, man, I thought, the
poor editor who had to work with that guy. The author was . . . [be nice,
Deb] . . . high maintenance. To be fair to him, he is an extremely specialized
physician and renowned as one of the top experts in his field. It was a priv-
ilege (and a money maker) for the publisher to produce his book. He’s
good. And he knows it. But the problem was that he was also disrespectful.
He was consistently rude and demeaning and actually told a coworker of
mine: “A monkey in China could do your job.”
Wild guess this guy does not follow the principles of servant leadership.
In the article, “The Radiology Manager as a Servant Leader,” an alternative
approach to power-based leadership models is outlined. So instead of
telling a difficult person to shove it (hey, who hasn’t fantasized about it?),
empower your staff to manage the situation, empathize with them, and
build community around the shared struggle—all principles of servant
leadership.

While this one experience I had with a difficult person could have easily decreased my morale and productivity, leading to a lesser quality service and product, instead, I chose to focus on the work, not the drama. Focus on process improvement and service, not the negative energy of those trying to say it’s pointless or you’re worthless.

I am fortunate to work with and lead an intelligent and focused group of AHRA members that serve on the journal’s Editorial Review Board. Without the efforts of these individuals, we would not be able to bring you the high caliber content you expect when you open a new issue. In 2011, Ernie Cerdena, Keith Hornberger, John Marshall, and Paul Monge are completing their terms of service. I thank them for their valuable contributions to this journal. And coming on to serve their first terms are Jennifer Brase, Wanda Coker, and Jason Scott.

If you would like to contribute your time and/or expertise in 2011, please check out AHRA’s various volunteer opportunities on our website at: www.ahraonline.org/volunteer.

Deb Murphy is AHRA’s publications director. She is editor of Radiology Management and may be contacted at dmurphy@ahraonline.org.

The Journal of AHRA: The Association for Medical Imaging Management

January/February 2011 • Volume 33 Number 1

Editor-in-Chief

James D. Lipcamon

Director of Imaging Services Jennie Edmundson Hospital Council Bluffs, IA

AHRA Publications Director

Debra L. Murphy

AHRA Associate Editor

Emily Doutre

Design

Mary McKeon

Production

Glyph International

Columnists

Gordon Ah Tye, FAHRA

Director of Imaging Services Kaweah Delta Healthcare District Visalia, CA

Gary Boyd, FAHRA

Chief Executive Officer Mammoth Hospital Mammoth Lakes, CA

Mark Lerner Director Medical Imaging George Washington University Hospital Washington, DC

Ed Yoder,
MBA, MHA, RT(R),
FAHRA, CRA
Imaging Administrative
Director
Winter Haven Hospital
Winter Haven, FL

Jennifer Brase, CRA

Imaging Director Nebraska Methodist Hospital Omaha, NE

Wanda Coker, CRA

Radiology Director Shriners Hospital for Children Greenville, SC

Diane T. Dionne, MBA

Director of Radiology Southern NH Medical Center Nashua, NH

Paul Dubiel, MS

Director of Imaging Seton Family of Hospitals Austin, TX

Janice Eurton, CRA, MA, RT(R)(M)

Manager Diagnostic Imaging Clark Memorial Hospital Sellersburg, IN

Becky Lamberth, MSRS, RT(R)(MR), CRA

Director of Radiology Plaza Medical Center Fort Worth, TX

Kimlyn N. Queen, CRA, MS

Director of Imaging Services Marion General Hospital Marion, OH

Philip Ruth, MBA, R T(R)

Director of Medical Imaging St. Joseph’s Mercy Health Center Hot Springs, AR

Jason Scott, MBA

Director, Imaging Services Witham Health Services Lebanon, IN

Editorial Review Board

Melody Mulaik, MSHS, RCC, PCS, FCS, CPC, CPC-H President Coding Strategies, Inc. Powder Springs, GA

Contact Radiology Management Editor Debra L. Murphy

AHRA

490-B Boston Post Road, Suite 200

Sudbury, MA 01776

Phone: (800) 334-2472, (978) 443-7591

Fax: (978) 443-8046 dmurphy@ahraonline.org

Advertising Sales Norm Wisler

M.J. Mrvica Associates, Inc. 2 West Taunton Avenue Berlin, NJ 08009

Phone: (856) 768-9360 Fax: (856) 753-0064 nwisler@mrvica.com

Radiology Management is published 6 times each year (January, March, May, July, September, and November) by AHRA. For information on subscriptions, contact: AHRA, 490-B Boston Post Road, Suite 200, Sudbury, MA 01776; phone (978) 443-7591. For advertising and reprints, contact M. J. Mrvica Associates, phone (856) 768-9360 or 2 West Taunton Avenue, Berlin, NJ 08009. Subscriptions: Radiology Management is an official publication of AHRA. The annual subscription is an integral part of the dues for members of the association. The fee for membership in AHRA is $175.00 a year with a $25 initial application charge. For information on membership, contact AHRA at the address above. A nonmember subscription rate is available at an annual cost of $100.00 within the US, $115.00 within Canada, and $135.00 for other foreign countries. A year’s subscription covers the 6 regularly scheduled issues plus any special issues. All nonmember subscriptions must include payment (payable to AHRA) with the request and should be forwarded to AHRA at the address above. Change of Address: Notification should be sent to AHRA at the address above.

Publication in Radiology Management does not constitute an endorsement of any product, service or material referred to, nor does publication of an advertisement represent an endorsement by AHRA or the Journal. All articles and columns represent the viewpoints of the author and are not necessarily those of the Journal or the Publisher.