Sergeant plays important role at Radiology Clinic Published July 29, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Erica Holbert-Siebert 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs 7/29/2015 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- -- If anyone can create a window into the human body, it is the Radiology Clinic staff at the 375th Medical Group, and those snapshots are delivered to providers through a system that Staff Sgt. Justin Keune maintains daily. Keune is a 375th Medical Support Squadron Picture Archive Communication System Administrator, and he ensures when imagery is taken in the Radiology Clinic, that it gets to the radiologist for analysis, and then to providers to treat patients. He maintains the systems that facilitate rapid care, and the task of processing an average of 45 patient records a day can be complex. The Edwardsville, Illinois native, trained over 13 months in technical school, and has since then learned about the intricacies of the computerized axial tomography, or CAT, scan machines and how to navigate the PACS system. CAT scans are special X-ray tests that produce cross-sectional images of the body using X-rays and a computer. He assists with CAT scans and X-Rays, and also manages the Impax Data Center, which manages the long-term storage of patient records for 27 different military hospitals around the country. He has been at Scott since November 2014, and he starts his weekday mornings with checklists to verify there aren't any program errors in the PACS system. He assists the CAT scan and X-Ray technicians during busier hours, checks X-Ray images for quality, and trains newer technicians. The new CAT scan machine at the radiology clinic is integral to patient care, and it is able to scan sections of the body for a variety of conditions. Jerald Aylsworth, CAT Scan Quality Control Supervisor, said, "A patient can drink or be injected with a substance that creates a contrast in the scans to be able to pick up on the images where an abnormality might be, such as a tumor, aneurism, or cyst. It will trace the path that the fluid follows, giving us insight to how certain internal organs, such as the kidneys are working." Keune said, "I really enjoy that every problem is never really exactly the same, whether it's handling CAT scans, X-Rays, or PACS, the answer is really networking and using different resources to solve the problem. The patients come in with different issues, and I've seen diagnoses that you didn't expect to find. It comes down to challenging yourself and being able to troubleshoot on a daily basis." He said as a radiology technician, they're really fortunate to receive training from the Air Force, because it is a translatable position in the civilian sector as well. "Our training coincides really well with what is needed on the outside," said Keune, "The training sets you up to take a registry test through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, which is a nationally recognized organization that can nearly guarantee you a job on the outside. You can also do something called moonlighting, and with a commander's approval, an individual can work on the weekends for hourly pay at a hospital to gain experience." The options are varied to find success for oneself, but one thing is absolute, helping patients is what it comes down to, said Keune. "I've had CAT scans when I was a civilian, and I knew nothing about it, and seeing how the technicians treat a patient, and then coming into the field, you know what you want, and what you don't want to be treated like. That gave me some insight from an outward perspective." Keune said the work schedule for a radiology technician isn't always clinic hours. "At Keesler AFB, I'm glad I had the experience of a hospital, working night shifts and tending to the needs of intensive care and critical care units. You learn a lot from the variety of patients that come in for treatment. You may think a patient's condition is routine, but you never really know what kind of condition they can be in, so we have to be vigilant in that." There was an instance where a patient came in and got a routine CAT scan. After seeing abnormal results on the scan around her appendix, Keune went to the radiologist, who confirmed what he saw, also stating that the patient shouldn't drive. Because the patient could decline quickly, he called an ambulance for her, and the radiology clinic expedited her care. "That's why it's so important to take the time with each case and review the images as a technician, otherwise I could've just let a patient drive off, which might have meant disaster," said Keune. Keune said he is able to bring that experience to serve Team Scott, and additionally finds solutions to problems that prevent rapid care, such as radiologists being able to look at patient images done at previous bases across the United States through their networks, rather than waiting for CDs to contribute to treatment. "It's important for us to have the proper history records and exam to get an accurate diagnoses for them. The most gratifying aspect of the job is being able to help patients get the treatment that they need," said Keune.