This year, we have been highlighting personal stories from our members, celebrating the guidance and support they’ve received from ISCD mentors throughout their journey in the bone health field. ISCD mentors inspire and ensure the next generation grows and thrives in our community. Understanding the importance and impact of these stories, we want to bring them to life.
Dr. Heglin shares his story…
As a resident who reads roughly 50 DXAs daily, it can be easy to take DXAs for granted. Many residents start out simply punching in numbers without considering patient positioning, image processing, and the intricate rules regarding reporting. DXAs are by far the most common study we report in our nuclear medicine facility, so having a diligent and thorough team at every step of the DXA process is crucial for keeping our department as trusted and respected as it is.
Dr. Orhan Oz has emphasized the importance of DXA quality control since day one of my residency and for every resident that passes through the department. Dr. Oz can and routinely does turn a DXA that would have been read in thirty seconds into an hour-long teaching opportunity.
Alex Heglin DO, MHS
Chief Resident Nuclear Medicine R3
UT Southwestern, Department of Radiology
Every aspect of our DXAs are intensively evaluated. If a patient has a significant drop in their bone mineral density that does not seem to be correct, rather than writing it off as a patient significantly deteriorating, Dr. Oz will collaborate with our physicists and techs to ensure that the study was performed optimally. There are several cases where significant changes were caught by Dr. Oz and found to be due to incorrect ROI placement or tissue exclusion. These catches have tremendous impacts on treatment decisions for our patients, and give them peace of mind that they are not at an erroneously high fracture risk or need to go on a medication with significant side effects to correct it.
Dr. Oz is an excellent example of tone at the top leadership. The values and attention to detail he consistently displays is reflected in every member of the team, including the techs, the physicists, the residents, and the attendings. Dr. Oz has been steadfast in keeping our department as up-to-date and accurate as possible, constantly researching and adapting our procedures to adhere with the standards recommended by ISCD. He has encouraged all of us to be proactive in this process by bringing me and our head technologists to ISCD meetings to keep current with changes in the field and maintain the standard of excellence our department strives to achieve. Dr. Oz has trained generations of radiologists to adhere to these standards and incorporate them into every department they join in the future. Our patients and physician colleagues can feel confidence in their diagnosis and care directly due to Dr. Oz’s commitment to precision.
