Cincinnati Children’s offers twenty-four hour attending radiology coverage for all imaging performed at this institution. This service includes reading all x-rays, CTs, and MRIs performed at the main hospital and all the outpatient centers. The benefit of having a staff radiologist full-time overnight allows all exams to have a final report shortly after completion. This helps clinicians in making appropriate decisions pertaining to patient care.
There was a time when overnight coverage was performed predominantly by residents and fellows in training. The benefit of adding full-time staff radiologists to the overnight service is that they bring years of experience and knowledge to the overnight team. Having a staff radiologist present in house helps to strengthen the learning experience for the trainees and strengthens the clinical experience for patients.
Currently the department of radiology at Cincinnati Children’s has two full-time staff radiologists covering the overnight service. As the number of patients and exams performed increases, a third staff member may be added.
I have been involved with covering the overnight service for the last five years. It has been a very gratifying and education experience. I enjoy the level of patient contact and the diverse pathology we get to see at night. My favorite part of this service is placing/replacing nasogastric and gastrostomy-jejunostomy (GJ) tubes. They are challenging procedures and very rewarding when the task is done successfully.
So if you are in the hospital at night, stop in and say hello. Remember we are here all night!
Contributed by Dr. Michael P. Nasser and edited by Sara Kaupp.
