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ACR Cites Inaccuracies in TJC Sentinel Event Alert

imagingBiz | The American College of Radiology (ACR) has issued a statement addressing inaccuracies it contends were included in “Radiation Risks of Diagnostic Imaging”, a Sentinel Event Alert issued last Wednesday by The Joint Commission (TJC).

The alert indicates general agreement that “care should be taken to weigh the medical necessity of a given level of radiation exposure against the risks, and that steps should be taken to eliminate avoidable exposure to radiation.” According to the ACR, this message concurs with that which it has been conveying to its members, patients, and the general public for several years.

However, the ACR points out in the statement, the alert includes a statement that notes the CMS January 2012 requirement for accreditation of CT, MRI, and PET was promulgated “as a result of the potential dangers associated with ionizing radiation.” The ACR, which sponsored legislation requiring such accreditation, deems this inaccurate because the legislation is aimed primarily at ensuring a high level of quality for these modalities, including inspection and evaluation of image quality, and because MRI, a component of the accreditation requirement, produces no ionizing radiation.
A second inaccuracy contained in the alert, the statement says, is the assertion that the ACR launched its National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR) this past May. NRDR has in fact been in existence since 2008.

In May of 2011, the ACR launched its Dose Index Registry (DIR), a national registry that permits facilities to monitor dose from each CT scanner and compare those doses to national benchmarks. The TJC Alert unfortunately makes no specific mention of the existence of the DIR.

“We are pleased that TJC acknowledges that ‘experts disagree on the extent of the risks of cancer from diagnostic imaging’, but we are concerned with the recommendation for ‘awareness of the potential dangers from diagnostic radiation among organizational leadership, hospital staff, and patients’ considering that there is significant scientific disagreement on the magnitude of those dangers,” the ACR statement reads.

In general, the statement concludes, the ACR “applauds TJC’s alert for its comprehensiveness and strong recommendations regarding selection of the right procedure and the right dose, creating effective processes, ensuring safe technology, and promoting a safety culture.” The College is “particularly pleased to have already addressed, through its DIR”, recommendation 19, which endorses the creation of a national registry to track radiation doses.

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Kyle Henneberry, M.D.

Associate Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Kyle Henneberry is a radiologist, health-tech innovator and one of the founders and principals of Direct Radiology. A native of Spokane, Washington, he graduated with honors in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University, received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and completed radiology residency at the University of Colorado. Dr. Henneberry has United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Jerry Lee

Chief Technology Officer

Jerry Lee has over 25 years of experience in healthcare IT. and has been with ONRAD since 2013. As the CTO, he is responsible for developing the organization’s technology strategy including IT infrastructure, application development, data analytics, cybersecurity and overall risk management. Lee’s focus is on strategic road mapping, leveraging emerging technologies and business intelligence to automate, streamline and optimize business processes. He previously worked as a senior healthcare IT consultant, where he implemented best practices, policies & procedures, and risk mitigation strategies for a variety of clients. He also previously worked as the Business Intelligence and Analytics Project Manager for a leading healthcare SaaS organization. He graduated with a B.S. from the University of California, Irvine.

Leandra Hutchinson

President, Direct Radiology

Leandra Hutchinson joined ONRAD alongside the acquisition of Direct Radiology in December 2024. Hutchison has broad experience in the healthcare industry, spending her career in healthcare technology and innovation. Prior to joining Direct Radiology in 2019, Leandra was the co-founder and Vice President of Operations of a health-tech company specializing in radiology analytics and healthcare asset management. Previously, Leandra worked in marketing, strategy, and operations roles for more than 10 years at a $7B integrated delivery system of hospitals and medical centers with more than 900 employed physicians. Hutchison earned her Bachelor’s degree from Kent State University and graduate certificate in health care policy and administration and MBA from the University of Toledo.

Ron Jackson

President, AllRads

Ron Jackson serves as President of AllRads at ONRAD, bringing over 30 years of comprehensive healthcare leadership across the provider, payer, and technology landscape. With deep expertise in radiology, he has spent more than 25 years in revenue cycle management, operations, finance, and practice management roles at leading organizations including HBOC, Per-Se Technologies, McKesson, and Zotec Partners. At ONRAD, Jackson leads day-to-day operations and strategic execution of AllRads, drawing on his cross-functional experience to drive efficiency, scalability, and growth. His 360-degree perspective of the healthcare ecosystem uniquely positions him to align organizational strategy with market dynamics in teleradiology and imaging services.

Alix Vincent, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Alix Vincent was one of the founding physicians at ONRAD. With over 26 years of radiology leadership experience, Dr. Vincent oversees medical staff activities, including patient safety, quality, and risk management initiatives. He manages ONRAD’s Regional Medical Directors, evaluates staff physicians, and drives clinical improvements to enhance physician alignment within the organization. Additionally, Dr. Vincent leads medical operations and played a key role in developing the company’s PACS and RIS Network capabilities. He previously served as Chief Radiologist and Chairman of the Radiology Department at Riverside Regional Medical Center. Dr. Vincent holds an M.D. in Radiology from Loma Linda University.

Lyn Mize

Chief Financial Officer

Lyn Mize serves as Chief Financial Officer at ONRAD, a role she has held since June 2022. With over two decades of experience in financial leadership, Mize has held CFO positions at various healthcare organizations, including Sunset Media Entertainment and Oncology Convergence, Inc. She also served as Vice President of Accounting at Health Choice and System Director of Accounting at Scottsdale Healthcare. Mize has a strong background in financial management, having worked with Banner Health and Greeley Medical Clinic, where she provided financial leadership for multi-specialty clinics and physician networks. Mize holds extensive expertise in driving financial performance and strategic growth across the healthcare sector and has a B.S. from DeVry University and a Masters from Grand Canyon University.

Dave Engert

President & CEO

Dave Engert started at Onrad as President and CEO in 2017. Engert is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 35 years of experience and a proven track record of leading and transforming healthcare technology organizations to drive growth and improve operational and financial performance. He previously served as President and CEO of Nighthawk Radiology, the largest teleradiology provider, and led its successful sale to vRad. Engert also held the role of President and CEO of Quality Care Solutions (QCSI), a leading provider of health insurance software, which was sold to Trizetto. Additionally, he has held leadership roles at McKesson, HBOC, and other notable companies and invested in several healthcare technology ventures. Engert holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Louisiana State University.