Announcement: SNMMI Annual Meeting

Dear SNMMI Members,

I am excited to share with you a reimagined SNMMI 2020 Annual Meeting—Virtual Edition.

This truly innovative virtual experience, to be held July 11–14, will be free for all SNMMI members, with discounted registration available for nonmembers.

The interactive virtual platform will allow you to attend live continuing education sessions, review and listen to hundreds of scientific abstracts on demand, peruse a cutting-edge exhibit hall, and attend networking events—all in a flexible format designed to meet the needs of your schedule. I am truly excited about this exceptional and innovative program, with a wealth of current and valuable information presented by nuclear medicine and molecular imaging experts from around the world.

FAQs are available here, and a detailed announcement, with full program and registration details, will be sent out tomorrow.

I want to thank you for your patience as we traversed uncharted territory during this pandemic. The New Orleans mayor and the Louisiana governor have sent clear signals that they do not expect the city to be ready to host large conventions in the immediate future. Governor John Bel Edwards plans to leave the makeshift COVID-19 health care facility at the New Orleans Convention Center, our original meeting venue, in place for the time being because of potential concerns for an uptick in cases in the fall or winter. These circumstances have compelled us to cancel the in-person meeting.

I am most grateful for your continued commitment to and support of the Society. I wish you and your families continued health and safety and look forward to connecting with each of you virtually this July. Please join me and your colleagues from across the globe in what is sure to be a robust and groundbreaking Annual Meeting—as always reflecting the very latest and best in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.

Sincerely,

Vasken Dilsizian, MD
SNMMI President

From the SNMMI President: An Update on the SNMMI Annual Meeting (April 13)

From the SNMMI and SNMMI-TS Presidents: New COVID-19 Resources for Members (April 3)

A Message from the SNMMI-TS President (March 31)

From the SNMMI President: SNMMI Announces COVID-19 Resource Center (March 27)

From the SNMMI President: SNMMI: Standing with You Against COVID-19 (March 19)

Nuclear Medicine–Specific Information

COVID Forum

• SNMMI COVID Discussion Forum
  Post a question or see what your colleagues are discussing in this SNMMI all-member community forum.

Nuclear Medicine Webinars

• How Should Nuclear Medicine Departments Prepare to Return to Normal (Academic Institution) New
  Also available with CE credit (May 15)
• NRC/SNMMI Town Hall – Regulatory Relief and Questions from the Nuclear Medicine Community New
  Also available with CE credit (May 13)
• COVID-19: Transitioning to a 'New-Normal' When and How New
  May 13 (recording)
• SNMMI-TS Virtual Town Hall: What Are You Experiencing re: COVID-19 in Your Area?
  (May 7)
• Imaging of a COVID-19–Positive Patient: What to Expect
  April 29 (Recording)
• IAEA Webinar Summary (April 28)
• COVID-29 Pandemic: Supply of Medical Radioisotopes and Radiopharmaceuticals (IAEA)
  April 23 (Recording)
• COVID-19 Pandemic: Guidance for Nuclear Medicine Departments (IAEA)
  April 16 (Recording)
• Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic: Challenges for the Nuclear Medicine Departments (IAEA)
  March 25 (Recording)
  

Nuclear Medicine Guidelines

• The American College of Nuclear Medicine Guidance on Operating Procedures for a Nuclear Medicine Facility During COVID-19 Pandemic (May 1, ahead of print)
  Specialty-centered guidance from ACNM for nuclear medicine facilities during the COVID-19 epidemic/pandemic.
• Guidance and Best Practices for Nuclear Cardiology Laboratories during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic: An Information Statement from ASNC and SNMMI (April 2, Preprint)
  In this Information Statement, SNMMI and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) address the practice of nuclear cardiology in the setting of the current COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the perspectives of diverse practices across the United States and worldwide.
• COVID-19 pandemic: guidance for nuclear medicine departments (April 15)
  IAEA guidelines to help nuclear medicine departments adapt operating procedures to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infections among patients, staff and the public.

COVID-Related Advocacy

• SNMMI Advocates for Access to Diagnostic Radiopharmaceuticals through COVID-19 and Beyond (May 15) New
• SNMMI Advocates for Frontline Healthcare Workers (May 8) New
  SNMMI joined various other medical professional societies in advocating for all frontline members of the healthcare delivery system during the COVID-19 pandemic
• SNMMI Encourages Legislators To Ensure Accessibility to PPE (March 26)
  SNMMI joined other diagnostic imaging societies in calling on the president of the United States to ensure an adequate supply of personal protective equipment.
• See also Government Resources and Other Resources tabs.

Radioisotope Supply

• NMEu: Update on Global Supply of Mo-99 (May 29) New
  The situation has largely normalized; a few difficulties still in transportation to Mexico and South America.
• NMEu: COVID-19 and the Global Supply of Mo-99 (May 11)
• NMEu: COVID-19 and the Global Supply of Mo-99 (April 27)
• Medical Radioisotopes still Produced but Facing Distribution Challenges Globally (April 20)
  IAEA: The production of radioisotopes used in medicine has continued during the COVID-19 pandemic, but hospitals could face shortages due to bottlenecks in transport and distribution.
  
• NMEu: COVID-19 and the Global Supply of Mo-99 (April 15)
  Production continues normally within adjustments for COVID-19. Logistics difficulties create risk, but no specific shortages are presently foreseen.

Ventilation/Perfusion (V/Q) Studies

• COVID-19 and Ventilation/Perfusion (V/Q) Lung Studies
  SNMMI statement regarding ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) lung scans and the risk inherent in the V/Q scan for spread of COVID-19 to patients and staff alike.

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM) 

COVID-19 and Pulmonary Embolism: Diagnostic Imaging Trends (ahead of press) New
Sedighe Karimzadeh, Akshay Raut, and Huy Nguyen Tien

• Comments on May JNM article, "Diagnostic Evaluation of Pulmonary Embolism During the COVID-19 Pandemic"

Guidance and best practices for nuclear cardiology laboratories during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: An Information Statement from ASNC and SNMMI (Ahead of press) New
Hicham Skali, Venkatesh L. Murthy, Mouaz H. Al-Mallah, Tim M. Bateman, Rob Beanlands, Nathan Better, Dennis A. Calnon, Vasken Dilsizian, Alessia Gimelli, Robert Pagnanelli, Donna M. Polk, Prem Soman, Randall C. Thompson, Andrew J. Einstein, and Sharmila Dorbala

• In this Information Statement, SNMMI and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) address the practice of nuclear cardiology in the setting of the current COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the perspectives of diverse practices across the United States and worldwide.

Yttrium-90 Radioembolization: Telemedicine during COVID-19 outbreak, opportunity for prime time (Ahead of press) New
Lawrence Han Hwee Quek, Anbalagan Kannivelu, and Uei Pua

• Telemedicine can be expounded to bridge the gap in this time of contingency.

The role of Nuclear Medicine for COVID-19 – Time to act now (Ahead of press) New
Freimut D Juengling, Antonio Maldonado, Frank Wuest, and Thomas Hellmut Schindler

• As a nuclear medicine community, we should actively participate in improving care for COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Li Wenliang and the Time of COVID-19 (May 2020)
Johannes Czernin

• Nuclear medicine clinics are usually very safe, low-risk, low-stress environments. This has changed now as each patient can be infected, and staff members can be asymptomatic carriers or become symptomatic while providing services. 

Nuclear Medicine Operations in the Times of COVID-19: Strategies, Precautions and Experiences (May 2020)
Johannes Czernin, Stefano Fanti, Philipp T. Meyer, Martin Allen-Auerbach, Marcus Hacker, Mike Sathekge, Rodney Hicks, Andrew M. Scott, Jun Hatazawa, Mijin Yun, Heiko Schöder, Peter Bartenstein, and Ken Herrmann

• An overview of different approaches from leading nuclear medicine experts for containing the spread of the COVID-19 virus to help support your decision making.
  

Incidental Findings Suggestive of COVID-19 in Asymptomatic Patients Undergoing Nuclear Medicine Procedures in a High Prevalence Region (May 2020)
Domenico Albano, Francesco Bertagna, Mattia Bertolia, Giovanni Bosio, Silvia Lucchini, Federica Motta, Maria Beatrice Panarotto, Alessia Peli, Luca Camoni, Frank M. Bengel, and Raffaele Giubbini

• For patients undergoing essential nuclear medicine procedures, incidental findings can suggest signs of COVID-19.

Diagnostic Evaluation of Pulmonary Embolism During the COVID-19 Pandemic (May 2020)
Lionel S. Zuckier, Renée M. Moadel, Linda B. Haramati, and Leonard Freeman 

• Recommendations for ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  

Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology (JNMT) 

From One Technologist to Another – COVID-19 Questions Answered (May 1, ahead of print)
Dmitry D. Beyder, Mark H. Crosthwaite, James Crowley, Lyndsi M. Hay, Kimberly Kerrylin Jackson, Nancy McDonald, Lynne T. Roy, Tricia Peters, and Nikki Wenzel-Lamb

• To provide guidance to the community, SNMMI-TS interviewed eight nuclear medicine technologists from around the country.

Divide and conquer: strategies to manage a nuclear medicine department during COVID‐19 (May 1, ahead of print)
Wei Y Tham, Aaron KT Tong, Kelvin SH Loke, Liyi Chio, Gabriel KY Lim, Xin Y Seah, David CE Ng, Sean XX Yan, Winnie WC Lam

• The authors share their experience in managing the coronavirus epidemic at the Nuclear Medicine Department at Singapore General Hospital.

Uptake

Lung Scintigraphy in the Era of COVID-19 and Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (May 8) New
J. Anthony Parker, MD, PhD, and Kevin J. Donohoe, MD

• This article discusses two recent developments related to lung scintigraphy: the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the increase in requests for lung ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy for the diagnosis and management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: What Nuclear Medicine Departments Should Know (May 8) New
Gopinath Gnanasegaran, Hian Liang Huang, Jessica Williams, and Jamshed Bomanji

• Hospitals and departments should have a standard operating procedure in place for staff who image patients suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19. The purpose of this article is to discuss and review precautions and safety measures for nuclear medicine department staff in managing patients with known or suspected COVID-19.

Other Nuclear Medicine Journals

Key elements of preparedness for pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in nuclear medicine units (April 21 ahead of print) New
Majid Assadi, Ali Gholamrezanezhad, Narges Jokar, Mohsen Keshavarz, Maria Picchio, Ettore Seregni, Emilio Bombardieri, and Arturo Chiti

Training and Certification

American Association of Physicists in Medicine

• All AAPM in-person meetings, plans for AAPM funded travel and meetings of other groups at HQ are to be canceled through April 30, 2020. Find more information here.
  
• Update for graduate program directors regarding recent developments in graduate medical physics education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (March 18)

American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)

• ABMS reaffirms support for physicians to focus their priorities on patients, families, and the communities they serve. (March 26)

American Board of Nuclear Medicine (ABNM)

• NM Program Directors: COVID-19 Impact on Nuclear Medicine Training Programs (March 25, 2020)
• Diplomates: COVID-19 and Adjustments to CertLink (March 24, 2020)
• NM Program Directors: Modification of ABNM Leave Policy for COVID-19 (March 12, 2020)

American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine

• The ABSNM currently plans to give the General and Specialty Examinations as scheduled on June 12, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. See more updates here.

American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)

• ARRT COVID-19 Update: ARRT is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and how it could affect students and RTs. RTs who have questions related to their postprimary eligibility pathway requirements, renewals, CQR, or other issues should log on to their online accounts first to see if they’ve received an update specific to their concerns.  

American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT)

• COVID-19 Resources for Radiologic Technologists and Students: ASRT is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation. ASRT is providing resources to help radiologic technologists and students adapt to this challenge.

JRCNMT

• The JRCNMT is closely monitoring the latest information regarding the COVID-19 virus and considering its potential impact on programs and site visits. Find information here.

Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB)

• Update on Testing Resumption for NMTCB Examinations (April 13)
• Information from NMTCB for certified technologists, NMT educators, students, and exam applicants.

Resources for Residents

• Impact of COVID-19 on Radiology Residents and Resident Education (RSNA On-Demand Webinar, May 20) New
• ACGME Information for Residents and Fellows

Resources for Students

• Update on NMT Training from ARRT and NMTCB (April 2020)

Government Resources

World Health Organization (WHO)

• Coronavirus Disease Technical Guidance
• Advice on the use of masks
• Considerations for stopping laboratory activities
• Considerations for stopping clinical research activities

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Decontamination and Reuse of Filtering Facepiece Respirators 
• Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control FAQs (PPE guidance for healthcare workers — April 1)
• Healthcare Supply of Personal Protective Equipment
• Information for Healthcare Professionals
• Interim Guidance for Healthcare Facilities: Preparing for Community Transmission of COVID-19 in the United States (Feb. 29)
• Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure in a Healthcare Setting to Patients with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
• Interim Infection Prevention Guidelines (March 19)
• Prepare to Care for COVID-19: Get Your Practice Ready
• Resources for Clinics and Healthcare Facilities
• Sequence for Putting On Personal Protective Equipment

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

• Coronavirus Waivers & Flexibilities
• Recommendations Re-opening Facilities to Provide Non-emergent Non-COVID-19 Healthcare: Phase I (April 19)
• New and Expanded Flexibilities for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers... (April 17)
• CMS relief for providers participating in quality reporting programs
• CMS Releases Recommendations on Non-Essential Medical Procedures During COVID-19 Response (March 18)
• CMS Coronavirus Response
• Medicare Telehealth Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (March 17)

Department of Defense

• COVID-19 FAQs for Grant Applicants and Recipients (Version 2, March 25)

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

• Recent HHS Updates During the COVID-19 Pandemic (May 19) New
• CARES Act Provider Relief Fund
• Notification of Enforcement Discretion for Telehealth

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• FDA Coronavirus Disease 2019
• FDA Guidance on Clinical Trials
• FDA: Guidance to Increase Availability of Ventilators

National Academy of Medicine (NAM)

• Duty to Plan: Health Care, Crisis Standards of Care, and Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

• Coronavirus: Guidance for Cancer Researchers

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• NIH Coronavirus Disease 2019 Center
• NIH Guidance on Grants, Operations During COVID-19 Response
• Information for NIH Applicants and Recipients of NIH Funding

National Science Foundation

• Impact on Existing Deadline Dates (NSF) 
• FAQs About COVID-19 for NSF Proposers and Awardees

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

• Regulatory Relief Pathways for NRC Medical Licensees During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (April 22)
• Medical Licensee Temporary Exemptions During the Emergency Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic (April 8)
• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Methods for Providing Regulatory Relief During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Public Health Emergency (April 7)

Other Resources

American College of Physicians

• Telehealth Coding and Billing During COVID-19
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Information for Internists

American College of Radiology

• ACR Statement on Safe Resumption of Routine Radiology Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic New

American Medical Association

• A Physician’s Guide to COVID-19
• COVID-19 Resource Center for Physicians
• Quick Guide to Telemedicine

Association of American Medical Colleges

• AAMC Guidance on Medical Students' Clinical Participation

COVID-19 Data Websites

• COVID-19 Open Research Dataset (CORD-19)—Allen Institute of Artificial Intelligence has partnered with research groups on this free resource of more than 47,000 scholarly articles about COVID-19 for use by the global research community.
• Live global data about COVID-19
• COVID-19 in the US and Canada (includes state and county-level data)

DOTmed

• DOTmed has created a COVID-19 equipment redeployment program to help hospitals support one another as they combat coronavirus.

ECRI

• COVID-19 and Medical Devices: Safe Respirator Usage When Supplies Are Short

Elsevier Novel Coronavirus Information Center

• Free health and medical research on COVID-19

European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM)

• COVID-19 Information Centre

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

• COVID-19 Information

MIM Software

• During the pandemic, MIM Software is making free licenses available to its users so they can work from home. Request a license.

North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS)

• COVID-19 Resource Page

Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)

• Surge Preparedness (May 6) New
• RSNA COVID-19 Task Force: Post-COVID Surge Radiology Preparedness (May 6) New
• COVID-19 Resources

Sterilizing Masks for Reuse

These articles may be helpful if you need to stretch your supply of respirators. See also ECRI video above and CDC article under Government Resources tab. Please note: Several of these articles are preprints and have not yet been peer reviewed. Accordingly, they are provided for informational purposes only and should not be used to guide clinical practice.

• Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor sterilization of N95 respirators for reuse
  Patrick A. Kenney, Benjamin K. Chan, Kaitlyn Kortright, Margaret Cintron, Nancy Havill, Mark Russi, Jaqueline Epright, Lorraine Lee, Thomas J. Balcezak, Richard A. Martinello

• Decontamination and Reuse of N95 Respirators with Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor to Address Worldwide Personal Protective Equipment Shortages During the SARS-CoV- (COVID-9) Pandemic
  Antony Schwartz, Matthew Stiegell, Nicole Greeson, Andrea Vogel, Wayne Thomann, Monte Brown, Gregory D. Sempowski, Thomas Scott Alderman, James Patrick Condreay, James Burch, Cameron Wolfe, Becky Smith, Sarah Lewis

• N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) Process for Decontamination and Reuse
  John J Lowe, Katie D Paladino, Jerald D Farke, Kathleen Boulter, Kelly Cawcutt, Mark Emodi, Shawn Gibbs, Richard Hankins, Lauren Hinkle, Terry Micheels, Shelly Schwedhelm, Angela Vasa, Michael Wadman, Suzanne Watson, and Mark E Rupp

• Evaluation of Five Decontamination Methods for Filtering Facepiece Respirators
  Dennis J. Viscusi, Michael S. Bergman, Benjamin C. Eimer, Ronald E. Shaffer

• What are good ways to address the shortage of face masks by anesthesiologists?
  Amy Price, DPhil (Oxon) and Larry Chu, MD, on behalf of the Stanford AIM Lab and Learnly COVID-19 Evidence Service

• Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental conditions
  Alex Chin, Julie Chu, Mahen Perera, Kenrie Hui, Hui-Ling Yen, Michael Chan, Malik Peiris, Leo Poon

• UV Sterilization of Personal Protective Equipment with Idle Laboratory Biosafety Cabinets During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  Theory Division, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Kyle J Card, Dena Crozier, Andrew Dhawan, Mina Dinh, Emily Dolson, Nathan Farrokhian, Vishhvaan Gopalakrishnan, Emily Ho, Eshan S King, Nikhil Krishnan, Gleb Kuzmin, Jeff Maltas, Julia Pelesko, Jessica A Scarborough, Jacob G Scott, Geoff Sedor, Davis T Weaver