Technologist News

SNMMI Technologist Section Presents Awards, Elects New Officers at 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting

More than 6,300 physicians, technologists, physicists, scientists, and exhibitors gathered at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting, held June 11–15. The meeting had 189 scientific oral presentations and 1,000 scientific posters, as well as sessions on new tracers and applications, emerging technologies, updates on appropriate use criteria and coding and reimbursement and the impact of COVID-19 on nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. A new Nuclear Medicine Technology Student Program was launched at the meeting and focused on specific topics of interest for students pursuing a career in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. The Technologist Section also celebrated its 50^th anniversary at the meeting with special events and speakers.

During the meeting, SNMMI Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS) inducted new officers, who will serve through June 2022. A number of technologists were also recognized for their outstanding contributions to nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and the society.

2021-2022 SNMMI-TS Officers

SNMMI-TS introduced a new slate of officers during the Annual Meeting. Dusty M. York, MAEd, CNMT, PET, ARRT(N)(CT), has been elected as the 2021–22 president for the SNMMI-TS. York is an associate professor and clinical coordinator of the nuclear medicine program at Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “As a nuclear medicine and molecular imaging educator, I am committed to promoting the field and am excited to represent the members of the SNMMI-TS,” noted York. “I would like the SNMMI-TS to be the first place technologists look for continuing education, patient resources and advocacy support. In this ever-changing world, we will continue to make every effort to meet our members’ needs.”

Dusty M. York

During the meeting, SNMMI-TS also announced Krystle W. Glasgow, MIS, CNMT, NMTCB(CT), NMAA, FSNMMI-TS, as president-elect. Glasgow is a teacher and clinical coordinator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in Birmingham, Alabama, and is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in health services administration with a concentration in health informatics at UAB. “As SNMMI-TS president-elect, I plan to be laser-focused on membership,” stated Glasgow. “Membership is the lifeline for the society, and we must continue to retain and gain in our numbers. Having served as the Technologist Section Membership Committee chair for two years, I have seen a lot of excitement from our members. We need to continue to bring individuals into our great society, get them involved, and help them succeed in our profession.”

Krystle W. Glasgow

Other newly elected individuals include:

Secretary: Kelli E. Schlarbaum, MBA, CNMT, PET, CT
Executive Board Members at Large:
- Dori L. Nelson, BS, CNMT, NCT
- Lance Burrell, MS, CNMT, PET, RT(CT)
Finance Committee: Sarah R. Gibbons, MBA, CNMT, NMTCB(CT)
Specialty Area Representatives:
- Tricia L. Peters, BS, CNMT, PET, RT(CT) – Manager
- Marcia L. Hess Smith, Med, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS – Industry

SNMMI-TS Fellows

The following three individuals were named SNMMI-TS Fellows. These are members of SNMMI-TS who have demonstrated leadership and have made a significant contribution to the profession of nuclear medicine technology at the national level. SNMMI-TS selects Fellows based on exemplary contributions in the following areas: participation in professional activities, education, professional experience, professional contributions, and civic activities. New SNMMI-TS Fellows receive a memorial plaque and pin signifying their Fellow status.

Barbara J. Grabher, BS, CNMT, RT(N), NCT, FSNMMI-TS
Greater New York Chapter Member Since 1986
Cheryl Rickley, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS
Greater New York Chapter Member Since 1989
Leesa Ann Ross, MA, CNMT, PET, RT(N), RT(CT), FSNMMI-TS
Southeastern Chapter Member Since 1995

Barbara J. Grabher

Cheryl Rickley

Leesa Ann Ross

Outstanding JNMT Articles

The Editor’s Choice Awards for the best JNMT articles published in 2020 were selected by JNMT editor Kathy S. Thomas, MHA, CNMT, PET, FSNMMI-TS, and the journal’s editorial board. Awards include:

Paul E. Christian

Shirin Hatami

Krista Wolfe

Gail A. McFarland

Editors’ Choice Award – 1^st Place: Paul E. Christian, Simon-Peter Williams, Lance Burrell, Paulo Castaneda, Justin Albiani, Nicholas Sandella, Andrei Iagaru, John M. Hoffman, Alex de Crespigny, and Sandra Sanabria Bohorquez, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, for “Optimization of 89Zr PET Imaging for Improved Multisite Quantification and Lesion Detection Using an Anthropomorphic Phantom.” J. Nucl. Med. Technol. 2020; 48:54–57.
Editors’ Choice Award – 2^nd Place: Shirin Hatami, Sarah Frye, Anna McMunn, Cystal Botkin, Razi Muzaffar, Kara Christopher, and Medhat Osman Doisy, College of Health Sciences, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, for “Added Value of Digital over Analog PET/CT: More Significant as Image Field of View and Body Mass Index Increase.” J. Nucl. Med. Technol. 2020; 48:354–360
Editors’ Choice Award – 3^rd Place: Krista Wolfe, Jonathan Baldwin, Vesper Grantham, and Wendy Galbraith, College of Allied Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for “⁹⁰Y-Labeled Resin Microsphere Spills: A Pilot Study to Determine Efficient Cleanup Practices.” J. Nucl. Med. Technol. 2020; 48:274–277
Editors’ Choice Award – Best Continuing Education Article: Barbara J. Grabher, Grabher Consulting and Specialty Services, Forest Hill, Maryland, for “Breast Cancer: Evaluating Tumor Estrogen Receptor Status with Molecular Imaging to Increase Response to Therapy and Improve Patient Outcomes.” J. Nucl. Med. Technol. 2020; 48:191–201.
Editors’ Choice Award — Best Educator’s Forum Article: Gail A. McFarland, Richard G. Hoylman, Jennifer L. Prekeges, and Vanessa R. Bennett, Nuclear Medicine Technology Program, Bellevue College, Bellevue, Washington, for “Teaching Professional Behavior.” J. Nucl. Med. Technol. 2020; 48:317–325.

SNMMI-TS Outstanding Technologist Award

Sarah R. Gibbons, BS, CNMT, NMTCB(CT), a nuclear medicine technologist, at Indiana University Health Bedford in Bedford, Indiana, received the 2021 SNMMI-TS Outstanding Technologist award. The award recognizes SNMMI-TS members who have demonstrated outstanding service and dedication to the field of nuclear medicine technology. Gibbons has worked effortlessly over the last several years at the chapter and national level to encourage students and technologists to join the Technologist Section and to get involved with the society.

Sarah R. Gibbons

SNMMI-TS Kathy E. Thompson-Hunt Outstanding Educator Award

Jennifer L. Prekeges, MS, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS, program chair of nuclear medicine technology at Bellevue College in Bellevue, Washington. was awarded the 2021 SNMMI-TS Kathy E. Thompson-Hunt Outstanding Educator Award. The award is presented to members who have exhibited commitment to advancing the field in their workplace and through their involvement with the society. In 2020, the SNMMI-TS changed the name of this award to recognize the late Kathy E. Thompson-Hunt, who served as president of the Technologist Section from 2010-2011. Prekeges received the award in recognition for her work in converting the Educator’s Forum and Student Review Course to virtual programming in 2020.

Jennifer L. Prekeges

SNMMI-TS Advocate(s)-of-the-Year Award

The SNMMI-TS Advocate(s)-of-the-Year Award was presented to Tricia L. Peters, BS, CNMT, PET, RT(CT), director of nuclear medicine at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center at Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, California, and Dmitry D. Beyder, MPA, CNMT, nuclear medicine clinical supervisor at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. This award recognizes an individual or individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing advocacy efforts at the state and federal level. In the midst of the pandemic, both Peters and Beyder were influential in ensuring that technologists were recognized as front-line workers. They also advocated on behalf of SNMMI for the FIND Act in Congress.

Trisha L. Peters

Dmitry D. Beyder

SNMMI-TS Lifetime Achievement Award

The 2021 SNMMI-TS Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Frances L. Neagley, BA, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS. This award is reserved for individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of nuclear medicine and the SNMMI-TS and its chapters. Neagley has been a staple within the SNMMI-TS and has served on the National Council of Representatives for decades, in a variety of positions. She also served as editor to the Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology where she successfully embarked on several improvements to the journal, including reducing article turnaround time from submission to publication, publishing procedure guidelines, adding case studies and invited commentaries, and encouraging submissions from chapter presidents.

Frances L. Neagley

SNMMI-TS Presidential Distinguished Service Award

The 2021 Presidential Distinguished Service Award winners are given to individuals who made a significant impact during the presidential tenure of Tina Buehner, PhD, MS, CNMT, NMTCB(CT)(RS), RT(N)(CT), FSNMMI-TS. The individuals being recognized this have shown exceptional leadership and have provided strategic guidance in the areas of education and research. The SNMMI-TS Presidential Distinguished Service Award was presented to:

Norman E. Bolus, MSPH, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS; Crystal Botkin, PhD, MPH, CNMT, PET; C. David Gilmore, EdD, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS; and Cybil J. Nielsen, MBA, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS, for their outstanding contributions on the SNMMI-TS Educators Committee and, more specifically, for the development of the career pathways document and revisions to the entry level curriculum.
Bital Savir-Baruch, MD, for her research mentorship as SNMMI-TS president Tina Buehner, PhD, CNMT, FSNMMI-TS, worked through her PhD thesis and for her friendship and guidance over the past year as Buehner served as SNMMI-TS president.
Mark H. Crosthwaite, MEd, CNMT, PET, FSNMMI-TS, for his leadership as 2019-2020 SNMMI-TS president as the society transitioned to 100 percent virtual, and his leadership as chair of the SNMMI-TS COVID-19 Task Force, which worked tirelessly to provide additional resources for SNMMI-TS members to ensure that they were protected front-line workers in all aspects of their jobs.

Norman E. Bolus

Bital Savir-Baruch

Mark H. Crosthwaite

SNMMI-TS President’s Plaque

Tina M. Buehner, PhD, MS, CNMT, NMTCB(CT)(RS), RT(N)(CT), FSNMMI-TS, was awarded the SNMMI-TS president’s plaque and gavel for her service as 2020–2021 SNMMI-TS president. Buehner has nearly 20 years of experience as a nuclear medicine technologist. She worked as the manager of the nuclear medicine/nuclear cardiology at Loyola University Health System’s Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Illinois, for five years and as a staff technologist and clinical educator at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago for 14 years before taking her current position.

Tina M. Buehner

She has been actively involved with SNMMI-TS for many years. Currently a director-at-large on the SNMMI Board of Directors, Buehner has served as a director-at-large on the SNMMI Board of Directors, as a delegate on the SNMMI House of Delegates, on the SNMMI-TS National Council of Representatives, and on the SNMMI-TS Awards, Grants, and Scholarships Committee. Very active within the Central Chapter of SNMMI, Buehner serviced as chair of the Membership and Programs committees, on the technologist Educator’s Task Force, and as technologist chapter president from 2014 to 2016.

SNMMI-TS Abstract Award Winners 2021

Technologist Best Abstract Award Winners

First Place

Kristin McBride, Radiology University of California Davis, Sacramento, California: “Blanching defects at the pressure points: a potential pitfall in dynamic total-body PET/CT studies.”

Second Place

Anne Ellis, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan: “Comparison of four infusion methods for Lutathera peptide radionuclide receptor therapy.”

Third Place

Katie Moses, Radiology, University of Colorado Hospital, UCHealth, Aurora, Colorado: “Advanced PET imaging simultaneously improves image noise and patient throughput in ⁶⁸Ga DOTATATE scans.”

SNMMI-TS/PET CoE Technologist Best PET Abstract Award

Kristin McBride, Radiology University of California Davis, Sacramento, California: “Blanching defects at the pressure points: a potential pitfall in dynamic total-body PET/CT studies.”

SNMMI-TS/Therapy CoE Technologist Best Therapy Abstract Award

Anne Ellis, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan: “Comparison of four infusion methods for Lutathera peptide radionuclide receptor therapy.”

ERF/SNMMI-TS Best COVID-19 Abstract

Anne Ellis, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan: “Comparison of four infusion methods for Lutathera peptide radionuclide receptor therapy.”

SNMMI-TS Technologist Poster Awards

First Place

Amer Pierret, Radiology, University of Colorado Hospital, UCHealth, Aurora, Colorado: “Effects of image matrix on quantitative metrics in ⁶⁸Ga DOTATATE studies: Changes in SUV and signal-to-noise ratio in modern digital PET detectors.”

Second Place

Heather Hunt, University of California Davis Medical Center; Sacramento, California: “Tranquility scoring to optimize pediatric imaging and reduce radiation on total-body PET scanners.”

Third Place

C. David Gilmore, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences University, Boston, Massachusetts: “Co-teaching in nuclear medicine technology.”

SNMMI-TS/Cardiovascular Council Best Poster Awards

First Place

Alan Stuckey, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, Tennessee: “Synthesis of ^99mTc-labeled peptide p5 + 14 for detection of cardiac amyloidosis - Preclinical studies in a mouse model.”

Second Place

Sarah Frye, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri: “Seeing the big picture: The importance of reviewing the entire field of view in myocardial perfusion imaging and the role of the nuclear medicine technologist.”

Third Place

Yoko Kaimoto, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan: “Optimization of injected dose for myocardial flow quantification in ¹³N ammonia PET with time-of-flight scanner. Noise equivalent count rate analysis.”

ANZSNM/SNMMI-TS Best Abstract Award 2021

Brylee Thomson, Austin Health: “16 vs 8 bin evaluation of left ventricle ejection fraction in myocardial perfusion imaging.”

ANZSNM/SNMMI-TS Best Abstract Award 2020

Sarah Thomas, Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health, Australia: “Interobserver variability in interpretation of ventilation-perfusion lung scans (VQ scans).”

Technologist Student Abstract Award Winners

First Place

Robin L. Schroeder, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois: “Simulating reduced dose PET imaging to determine impacts on diagnostic image quality.”

Second Place

Gabriela Feliciano, Rhode Island Hospital, North Providence, Rhode Island: “¹⁷⁷Lu-Dotatate therapy for inoperable or metastasized gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: How often do patients discontinue treatment early and why?”

Third Place

Fatimah Almuallim, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana: “The effects of temperature change on Tc-99m MAA radiochemical purity.”

SNMMI-TS Career Advancement Grants

The 2021 SNMMI-TS Career Advancement Grants were awarded to Nickie Beaulieu, CNMT; Samar El Khatib, CNMT; Sarah Frye, MBA, CNMT, PET, CCRP; Derrick Gillan, ARRT(N)(MR)(CT)PET; Jeremy Heinrich, CNMT, NMTCB(CT), RT; Clifford Liguori, CNMT; Marcy McCarty, MBA, RT (R)(N); Patricia O’Neal, CNMT, NMT; Alexandria Pleshek, CNMT; Diane Soulek, CNMT, NCT, PET, RT(N); Sara Vandehey, MBA CNMT RT(N)(CT); and Cheyenne Waters, CNNT.