Member Profile - Abe Nader, BS, RT(R)(CT), CIIP - SIIM News Fall 2008

Abe Nader is an Imaging Clinical Coordinator at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, VA and has been a SIIM member since 2005.

SIIM News (SN): How did you develop an interest in an imaging informatics career?

Abe Nader (AN): It’s an interesting story. I went to X-ray technology school in New Jersey, graduating in 1998, and I wanted to further my education in computers. I moved to Virginia in 1999 and pursued a computer science degree at George Mason University. As I was getting ready to graduate, the dot-com era ended, so I changed my major. In 2003, I graduated and obtained my Bachelor degree in health care management. Subsequently, I have successfully completed my Board certification for CT. I started working at Inova because they had a two-year plan to go digital, and I got on board as the hospital planned to go live with PACS. I later became a PACS coordinator, which combines my clinical interest with my interest in computers. However, I never thought of PACS or informatics when I started out as an X-ray tech.

SN:If you hadn’t gone into radiology, what profession would you have chosen?

AN: I would have become a lawyer.

SN:Do you work with other imaging departments within your facility, or just radiology?

AN: In addition to radiology, I also work with echocardiography and ATC (anti-natal testing).

SN:What are the most important benefits of SIIM membership to you?

AN: I’ve been a SIIM member since 2005; I attend the annual meeting every year and was among the first group members to pass the CIIP exam on the pilot test.

For me, the knowledge and information that I bring back from the SIIM annual meeting are invaluable – I can’t tell you where else I’d get that. I attend the lectures and the roundtables that are pertinent to my job and bring what I learn home to apply at Inova.

I also look at the annual meeting as a place to examine innovations that are new on the market and in use at other institutions, and learn how to apply them to my department. Another big benefit of the meeting is the chance for interaction with colleagues and sharing information about the systems we use. It’s a great interactive environment at SIIM.

SN:What advice do you have for someone entering this profession?

AN: It’s critical to have a clinical background, but knowledge of computer software and applications will put you at the top of the game. In addition, for new folks, understanding the department they are serving and the workflow are vital.

SN:What do you like best about your job?

AN: The daily new challenges – every day I face a new challenge. I get ongoing satisfaction when I overcome the daily challenges. I receive recognition and compliments from my colleagues when I have made a difference in an area by increasing efficiency in the department. The interaction with the techs and the physicians is also an important part of my job.

SN:Do you enjoy gadgets and technology outside of work? What are your favorites?

AN: Yes, I love hardware and I like to fix computers.

SN:What do you do for relaxation?

AN: I play in a competitive-level soccer league, and do yoga and tennis for relaxation.

SN:What is your favorite place you’ve ever been?

AN: New York City.