Radiology: capturing life-saving images

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Magen M. Reeves
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Some people wouldn’t be able to do their best work in the dark.

Airmen who work in the 341st Medical Group radiology clinic, however, thrive in the dark.

“Our mission is important because we want to make sure whatever is wrong with an Airman is diagnosed,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Spearow, 341st Medical Support Squadron NCO in charge of diagnostic imaging, originally from Sidney, Nebraska. “We find out why they are hurting so they can get treated to be able to return to their mission.”

Working in a dimly-lit space is necessary for the radiology technicians to be able to produce the perfect x-ray image which could be critical in saving a patient’s life.

“It has happened before,” said Lee Weideman, 341st MDSS radiological senior technician, when asked what the most rewarding part of his career was. “I was able to identify a disease we didn’t know about which saved the life of the patient.”

Weideman has seen many patients throughout his career. Originally from Missoula, Montana, Weideman served in the Air Force and retired as a master sergeant in 2005. He has been at Malmstrom since, primarily performing radiology exams.

Day-to-day operations in the clinic are equally as important.

“Our job is to assist providers in accurately diagnosing a patient through the use of radiographs,” said Spearow.

According to Spearow, treatment begins when a patient checks into the radiology clinic. The patient is greeted and is then given a gown to change into and from there lead by the technician into the exam control room.

The technician directs the patient to lay on a therapeutic x-ray table before the technician pulls the x-ray tube toward over the specific body part to be able to produce the best quality radiological image.

“Photons are produced when they are rapidly decelerated, producing the radiation coming from the x-ray tube,” said Spearow. “How strong the photons are produces a good image based off of the penetration of the body and the patient’s body size. Different sized patients will need different levels of radiation so the photons can penetrate the body.”

Because the human body is physiologically symmetrical, the technician places magnets on a slide-out tray on the therapeutic x-ray table to identify which side of the body is in the image. The magnet will show up on the image as a distinctive dark shape.

Once the image is produced the technician views it on a computer monitor to make sure the image is correct.

“Once we photograph the correct body part the diagnostic image is then sent to a group of radiologists located at the Air Force Academy,” said Spearow.

The Malmstrom Clinic must work hand-in-hand with the academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The better the image, the more accurate the diagnosis. The image must be as clean and sharp as possible.

“We have no radiologist here so they depend on us to choose the correct photos to be scanned to make a diagnosis,” said Spearow.

The Malmstrom Clinic is 100 percent digital, which means x-ray printouts are no longer produced. This advancement in technology makes it easier to electronically send the image to a radiologist.

“We as technicians are unable to review x-rays with the patient,” said Spearow. “A doctor here at the clinic orders an x-ray to be taken, we take the image, send the image to the academy where the radiologist reviews the image and makes a diagnosis, and then the radiologist communicates with the doctor.

“What we do here is important because diagnostic imaging is a combination of art, science and math,” he continued. “We have to apply physics to be able to know what the radiation levels have to be to not harm the patients.”

According to Spearow, specific patients require different care. Children tend to squirm more than adults. Elderly patients have more physical limitations and might sometimes need more time to complete the process.

“Sometimes it can be hard to get an image of a patient if they have something broken we need to x-ray,” said Spearow. “If it’s broken we have to rotate it in a certain position and sometimes that can be very painful.”

In addition to servicing Malmstrom Clinic patients, the radiology clinic works alongside local Veterans Affairs services. Patients under VA care can receive treatment at Malmstrom instead of traveling to Fort William Henry Harrison located near Helena, Montana.

“We ourselves can do the x-rays here at the clinic,” said Spearow. “We do not have the equipment to perform MRIs here, but the VA has a unit located on base that can.”

A traditional x-ray uses radiation in small doses to produce an image. An MRI uses magnets placed on a patient to create more than just a two-dimensional image.

It is the partnership that allows the radiology clinic to provide the best care possible for patients.

According to Weideman, this capability saves the Air Force money because patients don’t have to get a referral to go to a civilian clinic for this service.

“In fiscal year 2016, we performed 3,319 exams in this department and we saw 2,858 patients,” said Weideman.

Weideman also said for such a small department they stay busy. The clinic has two civilians, one Veterans Affairs employee and one active-duty member.

“Our clinic is a stepping stone to a much larger career field,” said Spearow.

Radiology can be considered a small career field with approximately 900 active-duty technicians Air Force wide who can perform MRIs, CT scans (formerly known as CAT scans) to name a few, depending on the base.

According to Spearow, Malmstrom is a very unique radiology clinic.

“All of our technicians here are certified which is very rare in the Air Force,” said Spearow.

Air Force regulations do not require Airmen to maintain a registry so many technicians don’t have one.

To gain a registry through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists an Airman must complete technical training which usually takes one year and four months to complete. Then, a five-level career development course must be completed along with 15 credit hours in courses related to the career field. Also, individuals must pass a 239 question exam. This process can take up to two years.

To maintain their registry, Airmen must complete 24 education credits related to the career field. A registry is valid for up to ten years.

“Credits are awarded by furthering your education through semi-formal training,” said Spearow.

This means that credits don’t necessarily have to be college courses. They can be seminars or workshops.

“The good thing about having a registry is if an enlisted member were to get out of the Air Force, that person is able to practice anywhere in the country,” said Weideman. “In my opinion, it’s one of the best jobs in the Air Force as an enlisted Airman.”

Weideman’s original career field was security forces before he cross trained into medical administration. After that, he trained into radiology as an ultrasound technician.

Radiology is Spearow’s original career field and has spent eight years in service with no plans to change his profession because he says he loves his job.

“The most rewarding part about my job is seeing a patient walk out with a clean bill of health,” said Spearow.