VCU news

By Michael Ford
University News Services

Three months after taking over, the new chair of radiology at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center is focused on growing the department by recruiting new radiology stars to the unit while retaining the nationally renowned clinicians, teachers, and researchers already on staff and by focusing on high technology areas.

Ann S. Fulcher, M.D., who took over as chair of radiology in February, says she already has recruited two highly regarded radiologists to join the faculty this summer. Both specialize in musculoskeletal radiology.

"Their arrival will have a big impact especially at Stony Point, where radiology is installing a newly acquired magnetic resonance imaging scanner, on the same end of the building with orthopedics," Fulcher said. "I anticipate more dynamic collaborations with the orthopedics team. When those physicians refer patients for imaging studies, many of which will be MR scans, we'll have these highly specialized musculoskeletal radiologists there to interpret the scans and immediately convey the results to the physicians directly delivering care. This will be like nothing else in town. Not just the machines, but we'll have these unbelievably specialized radiologists focused just on musculoskeletal radiology."

A VCU faculty member since July 1995, Fulcher understands the important link between medical research and clinical medicine. She says as an academic medical center, VCU has national and international experts in many subspecialty areas including mammography, chest radiology, interventional radiology, abdominal radiology, pediatric radiology and nuclear medicine. She says clinical specialty areas also become the focus of research for radiology faculty and that benefits the public by bringing the best and latest medicine to patients.

Prior to coming to VCU, Fulcher was chair of the Department of Radiology at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. She came to VCU as assistant professor of radiology in July 1995. By May 1996, she became director of the radiology division in the Ambulatory Care Center. In May of 1997, she was appointed director of abdominal magnetic resonance imaging. In July 2000, Fulcher earned tenure as associate professor of radiology and was appointed director of the abdominal imaging section in November of the same year. From July 2001 to January of this year, she served as vice chair of operations in the VCU Department of Radiology.

Born in Mt. Airy, N.C., Fulcher has established lasting roots in central Virginia. Fulcher earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Richmond in 1983, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. She earned her medical degree from VCU in 1987 and completed her residency training in 1991, serving as chief resident from 1990 -1991. From 1991 to 1995 she was on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, ultimately earning the rank of major and the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal.

"The second I could come back to VCU I did. This is where I always wanted to work," Fulcher said. "I am absolutely passionate and energetic about being here. As chair, my focus will be the department."

Fulcher says this is an exciting time in radiology because technology is at its peak and VCU Medical Center is not only keeping up, it is leading the pack. For example, a new magnetic resonance imaging machine acquires an image of the entire abdomen literally in one breath; a state-of-the art 16 detector computed tomography unit can scan the entire body in one minute, instead of 10, and that time can mean survival for trauma patients and intensive care patients in need of rapid assessments.

Whether radiologists are working at Main Hospital, Nelson Clinic, Ambulatory Care Center, or Stony Point locations, they are able instantly to share images and consult on cases thanks to a digital picture archiving communications system, known as PACS, which replaces traditional x-ray films.

VCU's new Molecular Imaging Center provides state of the art imaging facilities and technical support for conducting sponsored clinical and basic research as well as routine clinical PET (positron emission tomography) and MR studies.

"Imaging facilities such as the Molecular Imaging Center will now allow for an assessment of function in addition to anatomy when evaluating a number of disease processes including tumors," said Fulcher, citing gains that have come in just the last five years.