Luke Bideaux, BSRT, RT (R), CIIP

What is your current imaging informaticist role?

President and CEO of Vega Imaging Informatics; Chair of the SIIM Imaging Informatics Professional Internship (IIPI) Workgroup; Member of the ABII Continuing Education Committee.

What do you love most about imaging informatics?

I love that imaging informatics is a field that allows me to have a positive impact on patient care while also allowing me to participate in the technological innovation occurring every day.

If you could choose anyone as a mentor, who would you choose?

I have been blessed with numerous mentors in my life, so it would be difficult to choose just one. My parents taught me the value of hard work growing up and instilled values in me that have made me into the person I am today. Early in my imaging informatics career, I learned a ton from Peter Szabla, Vijay Ramanathan, and many others I had the opportunity to work side by side with. I’ve also been motivated and influenced by many of the all-time imaging informatics greats, such as David Clunie, David Brown, and Herman Oosterwijk.

What one thing, either industry-related or not, did you learn in the last month?

As a parent of a 2-year-old boy, I’ve learned so many things that I feel also carry over to my career. I’ve been learning the importance of focus and making the best of each moment. Today’s world makes it so easy to get distracted, resulting in wasted time and missed opportunities. Staying focused isn’t always easy, but it’s the only way you can truly be the best version of yourself in each moment of your life.

How do you define success?

I define success as reaching your full potential. This can only be achieved by identifying your goals, developing plans to attain them, and then harnessing a burning desire each day to fulfill these plans.

What’s the last book you read or TV series you binged?

IHE Integration Profiles have been my “binge” of choice recently, haha! I’ve found them extremely helpful in all sorts of situations. They can truly provide a guiding light for imaging informatics professionals, both on the provider and industry sides.

People love the networking at SIIM. Do you have a networking story?

Early in my career, I can recall attending SIIM conferences and feeling a bit intimidated. I was in my early 20s and I had no connections and limited knowledge to even strike up intelligent conversations about imaging informatics with the people I encountered. However, over the years, I’ve stayed involved with SIIM, and as my knowledge and experience have grown, so has my professional network. Now I view each SIIM conference as sort of a reunion of friends in my field, along with an opportunity to gain more and learn from each other. I’d encourage any new imaging informatics professional to stay persistent with your involvement in SIIM, because over time you will come to meet so many professionals that will help you learn and grow in your career.