Change Happens

Norman E. Bolus, MSPH, MPH, CNMT, FSNMTS

The Society of Nuclear Medicine is now the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). The historic vote on the name change took place on Monday, June 11, 2012, at the annual meeting of the SNMMI in Miami, specifically, at the SNMMI “Annual Business Meeting and Special Plenary Session.” For those of us who were able to be there and vote, it was an amazing event. In fact, the entire annual meeting in Miami was incredible and echoed several changes within our field. New SPECT and PET agents that have been recently approved such as ¹²³I-ioflupane and ¹⁸F-florbetapir for brain imaging were highlighted, as well as up-and-coming technology, especially PET/MRI.

While Miami lived up to its reputation of being hot, these and many more exciting and informative talks showcased what is hot in nuclear medicine as well. I was able to attend all the educator forums that are organized by the SNMMI educators committee each year and learned many new things about engaging the modern student and adapting to the ever-changing curriculum in nuclear medicine, which is an ongoing challenge. I was also able to attend several of the student oral abstract sessions, which are always good and showcase many new areas in our field. I highly recommend them, if you have not attended them in the past.

On Saturday, between 2 educator forum sessions, I particularly liked a rousing talk by Ann-Marie Alcala for student technologists at a joint luncheon for educators and students, with a theme of “Shift Happens”—basically the same as “Change Happens,” but her emphasis on the words “Shift Happens” was memorable and true in our field. This is one of the reasons that I have a continued passion for our field. It is ever-changing. We exist in a virtual world of constant change in nuclear medicine as new instrumentation, new software, new radiopharmaceuticals, new research, new protocols, and new techniques change the way we practice nuclear medicine from year to year. To me, this is the best reason for the Society to change its name to SNMMI, to adapt to our changing field and expand our horizons, making them even broader than they already are today. I look forward to all the meetings and seminars in nuclear medicine every year, as they are a venue to gain knowledge about the ever-changing status of our field. So, go ahead and put on your 2013 calendars the first-ever SNMMI mid-winter meeting, which will be in New Orleans on January 24–27, and the first-ever SNMMI annual meeting, which will be in Vancouver, Canada, on June 8–12.“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”—Winston Churchill

In this edition of the JNMT, I am pleased that we have at least 2 continuing education offerings again. Having at least 2 offerings per issue is a goal that I hope will continue for the JNMT going forward. If you have a topic of interest that you would like to see as a continuing education article, please let me know. One of the offerings is an article entitled, “Small-Animal PET: What Is It, and Why Do We Need It?” and the other is a practice guideline on brain death scintigraphy. Remember that you can go online and complete an exam on all practice guidelines in the JNMT for credit. Also, in this edition you will find articles ranging from research imaging techniques to radiopharmaceutical radiochemical purity tests and other techniques, as well as an interesting case review that made our cover for this edition.

In a second attempt for online discussion concerning a situational judgment exercise, we are presenting on Facebook “Hospital Property and Ethics of Helping a Patient.” Please go to www.snm.org/facebook to read the scenario and add your comments and suggestions on how to deal with the possible situation.