German MPs visit UCSF Radiology on Trade Mission

On September 16, UC San Francisco’s Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging hosted nine members of the German parliament’s health committee. The members of parliament (MPs) were on campus to learn about a partnership with Siemens to develop more sustainable radiology imaging services.

Led by Javier Villanueva-Meyer, MD, Alastair Martin, PhD, and Sean Woolen, MD, MS, the visit included tours of the department’s magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facilities, faculty presentations, and Q&A with the MPs. “Transforming imaging to be smarter, more accessible, and sustainable are crucial to the goals that University of California has set for improving health equity and energy performance,” said Dr. Villanueva-Meyer.

Dr. Woolen discussed the global energy crisis and radiology’s contribution from high energy consuming devices. “The collaboration with Siemens aims to monitor MRI energy consumption and reduce MRI consumption during off hours by modulating hardware components in the system off state,” said Dr. Woolen. “Early results demonstrate the utility of smart meters to measure energy consumption and test creative and effective energy solutions for a more sustainable future.”

“UCSF, Siemens Healthineers and Siemens Smart Infrastructure are pioneering new approaches to reduce energy consumption in hospitals,” said Christian Eusemann, PhD, VP Research & Innovation for Siemens Healthineers. “We were honored to be joined by Members of Parliament from Germany, who came here to see the future of the radiology. This kind of international cooperation is essential for advancing innovation.”

Christopher Hess, MD, PhD, department chair, noted that “Adopting innovative strategies to decrease the energy demand for imaging is a vital element in reducing the healthcare sector’s climate footprint. Each year 65% of UCSF patients receive imaging as part of their care, and we expect this to increase over time. Our partnership with Siemens is an opportunity for UCSF to make imaging more accessible in Northern California while reducing our energy consumption. UCSF is proud to be at the forefront of this effort.”

You may read more about this partnership at UCSF News. Siemens Healthineers and UCSF Create First Carbon-Neutral Radiology Imaging Service: New Agreement Focuses on Green Radiology and Improving Access to Quality Imaging