Kay Hoffman

As a survivor of three brain aneurysms and multiple failed intervention attempts, Kay Hoffman has become a strong proponent of equal access to advanced medical imaging. Her story begins with sinus headaches, prompting a CT scan that showed she had suffered a brain aneurysm. To treat the aneurysm, Kay had to have a blood diverter inserted through her heart, leading to her brain.

After two unsuccessful diverters and another brain aneurysm, she went to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where the neuroscience department performed a coil intervention and successfully removed the aneurysm.

During the RSRT fly-in, Kay shared her experience with medical imaging with congressional offices and highlighted how access to cutting-edge technologies will help patients in similar circumstances. “If there would have been AI incorporated into my CT scans or medical imaging technologies, maybe the second diverter for my aneurysm would have been able to be put into a position that would have worked,” Kay said.

As a beneficiary whose imaging procedures were reimbursed through Medicare, Kay recognizes the importance of adequate reimbursement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Kay’s story is a testament to the life-saving potential of AI innovations for improving imaging and treatments and she hopes legislators will work to enable all patients to benefit from the latest advancements in medical imaging.