Page 14 - January 2020 Impression

STAR PERFORMER

Dave Santmyer – Nuclear Medicine Technologist

While many hide behind the phrases “That’s how we have always done it” and “nothing ever
changes”, Dave does not let those self-imposed barriers prevent him from making an impact. Whether
it is reducing wasteful spending or streamlining workflows, Dave is constantly in search of ways to help
improve his surroundings.

Dave was involved in the Imaging QI project to help reduce patient wait times for the stress
portion of NM Stress Test. This project required cooperation between Nuclear Medicine and Cardiology
and spanned a 2-year period. During that time, the information obtained helped cardiology identify
and justify additional PA positions, which in turn helped the project team reach their goal.

At the beginning of FY19, Dave helped to initiate a simple but seemingly counterintuitive
intervention that has saved the department almost $85,000 dollars over an 18-month period. For
many, that accomplishment would be enough to satiate their hunger to drive change. For Dave though,
that was just an appetizer. With the expected installation of the new SpectCT, came an urgent need to
develop more efficient scheduling workflows in order to maximize the use of the remaining equipment.
Working with scheduling Dave was able to help devise a way to greatly minimize the impact of the
installation process on patient wait times.

Thank you Dave for standing up to the status quo and pushing us toward a brighter future.