From the December 2016 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Vasquez was elected to the AHRA Board of Directors in 2005. He served as a director until elected president-elect in 2011. Vasquez served as a Class I director on the Education Foundation Board from 2011-2014. Soon after his board role was completed, Vasquez joined the Regulatory Affairs Committee where he remains an active and committed member. Beyond his numerous volunteer activities, Vasquez has been a speaker at the annual meeting (2007, 2008, 2009, 2014) and Spring Conference (2088, 2009). His column “Succession Planning: A Different Leadership Yardstick” (July-August 2009) won the 2010 Radiology Management Editorial Award for Outstanding Column. In 2002, he was recognized with the Award for Excellence.
Melody Mulaik, CRA, FAHRA, joined AHRA in 2001, earned her CRA in 2012 and achieved Fellow status in 2013. Mulaik’s commitment to the association and to advancing the profession of medical imaging is obvious. As president of Coding Strategies Inc., Mulaik has used her coding expertise to elevate the professions of radiology and health care administration, much to the benefit of AHRA members. Her annual coding seminars are among the highest-attended webinars offered by AHRA. Mulaik authored chapters for Financial Management in Radiology (both editions) and has been a popular speaker at the AHRA Annual Meeting and Spring/Fall Conferences since 2003. Not only has Mulaik’s Radiology Management Coding column been a prominent journal feature since 2005, but she has written over 100 RM articles since 2002! In 2007, “Coding: May I Take Your Order Please?” (September October 2006) received the Radiology Management Editorial Award for Outstanding Column.
Most recently Mulaik has been the driving force behind AHRA’s increased regulatory presence. She spearheaded the creation of the Regulatory Affairs Committee and now serves as the committee’s vice chair. Mulaik has also served as the AHRA liaison to ACR for many years. Mulaik served on the AHRA Board of Directors from 2012-2015. She served on the Executive Committee in 2012 and was a CRA item writer in 2014 and 2016.
The ARRS Gold Medal
The ARRS Gold Medal is the American Roentgen Ray Society’s highest honor, awarded to recipients for distinguished service to radiology. Two recipients were named this year. Dr. Thomas H. Berquist is professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He received his M.D. degree from Washington University School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency in diagnostic radiology at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. He joined the staff in diagnostic radiology at Mayo Clinic Rochester in 1977 and served as the department vice chair from 1986 to 1990. He moved to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1990 and became chair of the department of radiology, a position he held until 1999.
