Industry Links

• American Registry of Diagnostic Medicine Society
• American Society of Echocardiography (ASE)
• Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL)
• Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL)
• Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS)
• Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU)

Other Services

Shugart Consulting
Strategies for a profitable vascular lab

In this time of decreasing reimbursements, efficiency equals profits. Shugart Consulting provides practical strategies, based on real world knowledge, which are designed to improve the efficiency of your lab’s operations, systems, staff, and management. Our goal is to assist you in offering the highest quality diagnostic lab services within a framework that is streamlined, efficient, customer-friendly, and profitable.

A comprehensive evaluation consists of several days’ on-site review of your lab’s management, personnel, operations, and systems, resulting in a detailed written report containing analysis, recommendations, timelines, priority lists, sample forms, references, and other information as needed.

The report is customized for your lab, to work within your existing systems. Recommendations are organized by topic, in bullet form, to facilitate assignment of specific tasks to appropriate individuals within the organization. All recommendations are in compliance with the Standards of the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL).

Areas of evaluation may include:

• Referrals Indications Appointments
• Scheduling Work Flow General Office policies
• Staffing Hiring Practices and Resources Salaries
• Exam Procedure Protocols Diagnostic Criteria Quality Assurance
• Forms Development Reporting Recordkeeping
• Regulatory Compliance Safety Ancillary Services
• Coding Billing Claims Processing/Denials
• Equipment Facility Design On-call issues
• Expansion of Services Technologist & MD Education CME Resources
  

Limited services to address specific needs or questions are also available, and some consultations may not require an on- site visit.

Rita Shugart

Rita Shugart, RN, RVT, FSVU, President, Shugart Consulting, is nationally recognized as a leader in the field of vascular technology. Prior to forming Shugart Consulting in February 2008, Rita managed a large, office-based vascular lab and was a practice manager for a cardiac, thoracic, and vascular surgery practice for more than 27 years.
Rita has also participated in numerous professional activities since the 1970’s. She is a Founding Member and Past President of the North Carolina Vascular Technologists. Rita has served on the Board of Directors of the Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) several times since the 1980’s, completing terms as Secretary, Vice President, and President. She authored SVU’s Code of Ethics, was elected to its first class of Fellows in 1997, and has been the recipient of its highest service and leadership awards. In 2001, Rita founded and became the first President of the North Carolina Vascular Nurses Association.

Rita has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Intersocietal Commission of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL) since 1995, and in 2005 she was honored to be elected its first non-physician President. Since 2007, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), which is the parent organization for the five Intersocietal accreditation divisions, ICAVL (vascular labs), ICAEL (echo labs), ICANL (nuclear labs), ICAMRL (magnetic resonance labs), and ICACTL (CT labs). She is currently Chairman of the IAC.

Rita is a frequent speaker at local, regional, and national conferences, specializing in the topics of lab management, Medicare compliance, current issues, coding and billing, and accreditation. In addition to serving on the Advisory Council for the local community college’s ultrasound program, Rita is also a member of several committees and advisory councils dedicated to promoting the adoption of measures, regulations, legislation, and policy initiatives that enhance quality in diagnostic testing.
Shugart Consulting
Rita Shugart, RN, RVT, FSVU, President
3710 SE School Road
Greensboro, NC 27406
rshugart@triad.rr.com
336-339-4323