Message from the CCSNMMI-TS President, Melissa Snody, BS, CNMT

  Genevieve Hedland        August 14, 2023

Hello all,

I would like to take this opportunity to officially introduce myself to our collective membership, to alert you to some incredible work that has been going on in our chapter, and to invite you to become more involved yourself! My name is Melissa Snody, and I am thrilled to be serving as your President of the CCSNMMI-TS for 2023-2024. I have been a technologist in Michigan for over 20 years and have had the good fortune to have witnessed some incredible advancements in Nuclear Medicine over the course of my career thus far. I have worked primarily for Corewell Health (formerly Beaumont Hospital) in Royal Oak, MI in both general Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT and have recently made the jump to industry as a Medical Imaging Specialist with Telix Pharmaceuticals. I am a strong advocate for our field and believe we have only begun to scratch the surface of how nuclear medicine can positively impact patient management and outcomes. I am so excited to see how our field continues to evolve moving forward!

The Central Chapter has a long history of supporting technologists. Our Chapter has a multitude of resources available to technologists to encourage engagement and career advancement. A few exciting things that have happened within out chapter over the past year include:

• 4 Central Chapter Technologists being sent to the Leadership Academy in San Francisco, CA in January, 2023.
• 6 Central Chapter Technologists sent to “Hill Day” in April, 2023 to meet with representatives and advocate for the FIND act in Washington, DC.
• Over 30 student representatives from the Central Chapter sent to the first ever Student Leadership Academy held in conjunction with the SNMMI Annual Meeting in June, 2023 in Chicago, IL.
• Many awards and significant scholarships have been awarded to members of our chapter so far this year.
• Hundreds of dollars were awarded for research and abstracts that have been produced by students and technologists within the Central Chapter this year.
• Hot Homework webinars for students have produced and run by the Central Chapter Student Liaison committee engaging students from across the nation and a providing valuable board exam preparation and early career tips to students.
• An original Nuclear Medicine podcast produced by the chair of our Student Liaison Committee.
• One new Fellow designation (FSNMMI-TS) awarded to one of our Chapter members.

The Central Chapter supports the largest membership of any of the Chapters in the nation. It is my mission over the remainder of my term to focus on Outreach and Advocacy within the Central Chapter. I would like to further engage our established membership and allow for the continued encouragement of students entering the field. I would also like to make Advocacy a key focus of our chapter’s year through effective communication and education of our membership on the issues the advocacy committee is trying to tackle and making it clear how everyone can assist in forwarding these efforts. I would like everyone in the Chapter to know who your TAG is for your respective state and how to get a hold of them if you have questions or concerns or simply want to help. We have been working toward passing the FIND act for years, and I would love to make this the year we finally get there!

So here is my ask… I would like to ask each of you if you have ever considered getting more involved at the Chapter or National level of the SNMMI? Would you like to learn more about the opportunities available within the society? Would you like to feel more connected to the Nuclear Medicine community at large? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I want to hear from you! Please, reach out to me anytime! Our Chapter is only as strong as its membership, and I want to hear more about what is important to you, how to best represent you to the society at large and how we can work effectively together. Keep watching your emails and social media. I am excited to see what we can accomplish together this year!

Kind regards,

Melissa Snody, BS, CNMT
CCSNMMI-TS President
Michigan State TAG

Medhat Sam Gabriel, MD to Receive Central Chapter – SNMMI’s Gold Medal at the 2023 Spring Meeting in March

  Genevieve Hedland        February 16, 2023

Chicago, IL – The Central Chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (CCSMMI) will honor Medhat Sam Gabriel, MD, Professor of Radiology, section of Nuclear Medicine at Loyola University Medical Center with the presentation of the Steven M. Pinsky, MD Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor the CCSNMMI can bestow upon a member. The Distinguished Service Award or Gold Medal will be presented to Doctor Gabriel at the March 11-12, 2023 CCSNMMI Annual Spring Meeting at the Doubletree Hotel Chicago in Oak Brook Illinois, to recognize his outstanding leadership in organized medicine and his many years of dedicated service to radiology and nuclear medicine, much like Doctor Pinsky during his career.

Born and raised in Egypt, Doctor Gabriel (Sam to his friends) received his medical degree in 1981 from Assiut University College of Medicine in Assiut, Egypt, a seven-year program combining undergraduate and medical school.  Following graduation, he received postdoctoral training in infectious diseases and worked in Infections Disease Hospital in Assiut from 1986 – 1990 followed by a scholarship at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston from 1991-1992, a 10-month training program in Infectious Diseases and Public Health arranged by the US Government and the Egyptian Ministry of Health.  In 1998 he changed is specialty to nuclear medicine with a one-year residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago followed by a two-year residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois.

Following his residency, Doctor Gabriel served for five years as attending physician in nuclear medicine for now Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. He returned to Loyola in 2006 as Assistant Professor of Radiology and then Associate Professor of Radiology in 2012 to become a full Professor in 2019, a position he holds today. He was the Director of the Nuclear Medicine Residency Program at Loyola University Medical Center from 2009-2020. During this time he also served as a consultant in nuclear medicine for Clinical Associates in Des Plaines, Affiliate Medical Director for the Nuclear Medicine Technologist Student Program for Hines VA in Hines, Illinois as well as a consultant in nuclear medicine at Hines VA. From 2010 to 2021 Doctor Gabriel also served as Affiliate Medical Director for the Nuclear Medicine Technologist Student Program at Triton College in River Grove, Illinois.

With a strong focus on training the upcoming generations, in addition to his teaching, Dr. Gabriel has served on major committees at Hines VA and Loyola related to medical student selection and curriculum and radiology residency programs. Since 2007, Doctor Gabriel has served as a Clinical Nuclear Medicine Lecturer for the Radiology Residency Program for Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital in Chicago, and for two years served in a similar capacity for the Radiology Residency Program at the University of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Doctor Gabriel joined the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging in 2002 and has been active in the Society at the National and Chapter Level ever since. For the Central Chapter, he was recruited to be the Program Chair for the 2009 Annual Spring Meeting after which he was elected to serve on the Board of Governors. In 2015 he was elected Vice President of the Chapter followed by becoming President-Elect in 2016 and then President from 2017 to 2018. He served as the Program Co-Chair for the Central Chapter Annual Spring Meeting again in 2021.

Doctor Gabriel is active with other radiology groups including the Radiological Society of North America, the American College of Nuclear Medicine and the American Board of Nuclear Medicine.

A prolific writer and speaker, Doctor Gabriel has authored or co-authored articles, as well as giving presentations at national meetings, including the 2017 James Quinn Lecture at the Spring Meeting of the Central Chapter. After many years of preparation, Dr. Gabriel with his colleagues from Loyola University Medical Center and other institutions published the “RadTool Nuclear Medicine MCQ” book to help residents prepare for their Board Examination.

In March 1992 Dr. Gabriel married Roula Fakhoury Gabriel, who holds a chemistry degree from Northeastern University in Chicago and worked for many years at Abbotts Laboratories. He has 2 children, Andrew and Christina; both are engineers. Among many hobbies, he enjoys playing the piano the most.

The Distinguished Service Award was created in 2005 to honor Steven M. Pinsky, MD. During his exceptional career, Dr. Pinsky was particularly involved in organized radiology, serving as president of the Central Chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and president of the Illinois Radiological Society. He was awarded fellowship in both the American College of Radiology and the American College of Nuclear Physicians.   In recognition of his outstanding work on behalf of radiology, the Chicago Radiological Society awarded Dr. Pinsky its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, or the Gold Medal.  Dr. Pinsky’s generosity and service extended beyond the scope of radiology, donating a room at Michael Reese Hospital, a conference room at the University of Chicago, and a children’s library at the Jewish Community Center in Northbrook.

In 2000, Dr. Pinsky retired from active practice, but he remained active in the Illinois Radiological Society and the American College of Radiology, sharing his expertise and wealth of knowledge while continuing his love of teaching through mentoring younger radiologists. He also launched the Resident Research Award which has been carried on by his family since his passing. Naming the award after Steven M. Pinsky MD, recognizes a nuclear medicine specialist and radiologist who was an outstanding physician, excellent teacher and superb leader and has trained countless physicians.  Dr. Pinsky passed away in 2004.

2023 Spring Meeting Focuses on Precision Medicine: Targeting the Future of Nuclear Medicine, Molecular Imaging and Radiopharmaceutical Therapy

  Genevieve Hedland        February 16, 2023

This year’s Annual Meeting will focus on Precision Medicine: Targeting the Future of Nuclear Medicine, Molecular Imaging and Radiopharmaceutical Therapy.  It is aimed to provide physicians, physicists, and technologists with an abundance of information on What’s New in Nuclear Oncology, how to Optimize Your Practice, and Imaging and Beyond. Additionally, Leaders from the national level will give an update on the Value Initiative, advocacy and how the SNMMI works to protect our profession. Several of lectures will provide SAMS credits (self-assessment modules) for audience participation and learning. You can view the complete program information here.

For our technologist students, don’t forget to sign up for the Quiz Bowl where students from different schools compete against each other in a nuclear medicine knowledge-based, jeopardy-style competition for bragging rights and to earn their name on the Quiz Bowl trophy! Afterward you can explore the many shopping and dining options the Oakbrook area has to offer.

Plan to attend the CCSNMMI’s Annual Spring meeting which will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton Chicago – Oak Brook in Oakbrook, IL on the weekend of  March 11 -12, 2023.