President Focuses On Customer Service And Technology

from the Summer 2001 issue

"Accreditation has become the standard method for vascular laboratories to evaluate and demonstrate the quality of work they perform. With reimbursement policies in 34 states directly related to ICAVL accreditation, our focus has grown from creating a quality program and convincing others of its value into making that program accessible to laboratories everywhere," said John Gocke, MD, MPH, RVT, one of the original authors of the Essentials and Standards and new President of the ICAVL.

Dr. Gocke's presidency began this January, more than 10 years after he began service to the ICAVL as a representative of the Society of Vascular Medicine and Biology. In fact, his service extends beyond the incorporation of the ICAVL to its very beginnings when members of eight organizations began exploring methods for improving the level of care provided by vascular laboratories throughout the nation.

Dr. Gocke is a vascular medicine specialist who has been a vascular laboratory Medical Director since 1983. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic, then founded and directed the Carle Clinic Vascular Lab in Urbana, IL in 1983 before becoming the Medical Director of the LaGrange Memorial Vascular Lab in 1993, where he remains. He is also Medical Director of the Midwest Heart Specialists Vascular Laboratory, and a member of AIUM and SVT. He has also been certified through the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) RVT credential since 1990. He practices in the western suburbs of Chicago.

"Acceptance of the ICAVL by the general medical community was consummated in the late 1990s, as members of the echocardiography, nuclear medicine and nuclear cardiology communities approached us to help them create similar processes within their fields. At about the same time, reimbursement policies were drafted relating to vascular accreditation. Since that time, policies have been enacted nationwide, the ICAEL and ICANL were formed, and at the beginning of this year the magnetic resonance community formed the ICAMRL accreditation program," he said. Dr. Gocke is also one of two ICAVL representative Board members to the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC).

"The result is that we have been able to shift our focus from proving the worth of accreditation to making it accessible to laboratories throughout the country, whether a large hospital in a major urban area or a small two-person facility in one of America's smaller towns," he said. "During my term, I will continue to focus on serving the vascular community by integrating technologies that will make interaction between the ICAVL and the vascular community even more effective. Continually improving customer-focused service is the number one priority.

"Towards that end," Dr. Gocke said, "we recently created the first ICAVL Customer Service Task Force by recruiting seven laboratory staff members from both small and large accredited laboratories to participate in this task force. The Committee will be chaired by Joanne Drago, RVT and co-chaired by Edward Bluth, MD, both Board members. They are meeting in July to further develop their goals and objectives.

"Over the past two years, we began focusing on how to better serve laboratories seeking accreditation. The new Electronic Application significantly simplified the process. In addition, we have completely redesigned our in-house database and review process, so that our staff has more time to interact with laboratory staff. I think that people who call our office with questions are having surprisingly pleasant experiences. We are continuing to develop the database to ensure that service will only continue to improve.

"Of course, the incorporation of the internet into most people's daily lives has put information at everyone's fingertips. Information about accreditation is no exception," he said. "The ICAVL website is an extremely powerful way for laboratory members to learn about the ICAVL and to begin the accreditation process at their own pace. With links to vascular organizations serving physicians and technologists, the website also serves as a gateway to the vascular community."

A Registered Vascular Technologist, Dr. Gocke has interpreted and/or performed over 20,000 noninvasive vascular studies during his nearly twenty-year career in the vascular field. In 1997, he was named one of Chicago's Best Doctors by Chicago Magazine.

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