Erin Grady to chair American Board of Nuclear Medicine
Erin Grady, M.D., CCD, FACNM, has been elected to chair the American Board of Nuclear Medicine, one of 24 primary disciplines recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. This underscores the growing recognition of Christiana Care’s nuclear medicine section as a national leader in the field.
“I am very honored,” Dr. Grady said of her new position. “I’m happy to help my specialty and am grateful to have the support from our health system to take on this new role.”
Like other primary specialty boards, the ABNM is charged with serving the public through assurance of high-quality patient care by establishing standards of training, issuing initial certification and ensuring continued competence of physicians providing nuclear medicine diagnostic and therapeutic services.
“Working with the board has been incredibly rewarding and, of course, a lot of work. My eyes have been opened to special considerations encountered when writing a good exam question, compiling a quality exam and understanding exam statistics. I have especially enjoyed the teamwork we have on the board,” Dr. Grady said regarding her three years of experience with the ABNM.
Timothy Manzone, M.D., JD, CCD, chief of Christiana Care’s Nuclear Medicine section, summed up his initial reaction in one word: “Wow.”
“This is quite an extraordinary role for someone who is relatively early in her career and a testament to Erin’s leadership in the field on the national level,” Dr. Manzone said. “We are very fortunate to have her here at Christiana Care.”
Dr. Grady is in her sixth year with Christiana Care Health System. She raised her profile in 2013 when she participated in a White House initiative to ensure a stable supply of the most commonly used radioisotope in nuclear medicine. In 2015, she was named the Rising Star in the department of Radiology.
Dr. Manzone joked that when his professional cohorts learn where he practices, more than one has said, “Oh, you work with Erin Grady!”
“Having somebody who is a national leader in the field really helps put Christiana Care on the map as an institution with a topflight nuclear medicine section,” he said.
Christiana Care established its Nuclear Medicine section in 1952, Dr. Manzone said. It’s a specialty in which small amounts of radioactive materials, or tracers, are used to diagnose and treat a variety of diseases, including cancers.
“We study how tissues and organs are behaving rather than what they look like,” said Dr. Manzone, noting that the specialty is in a phase of transition, making Dr. Grady’s new role even more important.
“Nuclear medicine is at a crossroads, and the American Board of Nuclear Medicine is front and center,” he said.
Dr. Grady outlined three efforts she wants to accomplish this year with the board: ensure the board is providing value to its diplomates; overhaul the current maintenance of certification process and implement it; and increase communication both inside and outside the board.
“I want to make sure people know about nuclear medicine and are aware of its value in diagnosing and treating disease,” she said.