There is an actual personification of the National Radiologic Technology Week theme "Beaming with Pride," and that individual truly exists at Naval Hospital Bremerton (NHB).

Scott McGibbon, of NHB's Radiology Department, is the Computed Tomography (CT) lead technologist and a driving force of energy not unlike that of the actual CT scanner itself.

Along with that energy is a generous amount of enthusiasm.

"I live and breathe CT; it's my passion," said McGibbon, a registered technologist (radiography) (computed tomography) with American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. "Being able to share that with others is something I enjoy doing."

A CT scan is more than just an X-ray. It combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles, and then computer processing is utilized to create cross-sectional images -- or slices -- of bones, blood vessels, and soft tissues inside a scanned body. What's unique is the computerized images can provide much more detailed information and hundreds of different levels of density than a normal X-ray.

"The work Scott does is absolutely essential to the hospital," said Cmdr. Joel McFarland, NHB radiologist and Radiology Department head.

When asked, McFarland will readily state a military treatment facility simply has to have CT scanner capability.

"In this day and age, you cannot have a hospital without CT capability," stated McFarland. "CT scans enable rapid diagnosis of life-threatening conditions that save patient lives on a daily basis, and at the same time prevent unnecessary exploratory surgeries, monitor many chronic conditions, and 'rule out' life-threatening conditions for many other patients, which allows less invasive treatments and improved peace of mind."

What, or more precisely who sets apart NHB's CT scanner from others is McGibbon.

"What makes Scott an incredible asset to this command is his enthusiasm, professionalism, unflappably positive attitude, and his unwavering commitment to radiation dose reduction," McFarland said.

Radiation dose reduction is always an acute awareness for the staff of Radiology Department.

"The downside to CT exams is that they use ionizing radiation, but using guidance from the American College of Radiology and avidly researching best practice low-dose imaging protocols, Scott has in some instances reduced the radiation dose to patients by 70 percent," explained McFarland.

McGibbon cites everyone in NHB's Radiology Department adheres to the X-ray field motto of "ALARA," an acronym that stands for "as low as reasonably achievable."

"Technology has come so far since the CT scan was invented in 1972," McGibbon said. "What used to take 30 minutes, we can now do in seconds. An entire head-to-toe scan is only 0.83 seconds! That's less than a second -- the equivalent of one X-ray -- and a dramatic lessening of exposure time to radiation."

McGibbon also noted CT exams are useful for a detailed 3-D image of certain parts of the body such as lungs, brain, and abdomen, and providing diagnosis on such medical issues as lesions, tumors, and metastasis.

"What we always want to do is catch anything and everything early; we want to find that problem," added McGibbon. "That's what we do. We team up with our doctors, nurses, laboratory personnel, and others to provide the necessary diagnosis for our patients. We provide valuable insight to the doctors to treat their patients. Say someone has kidney stone(s). We can determine that's what it is, locate and pinpoint where it is, and the size of it."

It will be four years in December McGibbon has been at NHB, and his journey to his current position came by a round-about way. He served 1982-1986 as a Navy religious program specialist 2nd class aboard fast combat support ship USS Detroit (AOE 4), and then transitioned to civilian life to use the GI Bill for schooling.

"I knew I wanted to be in a position to help people," said McGibbon. "As an RP, the work I did was very rewarding. I wanted to continue that, so I chose the path of medicine to try and make a positive difference. It has been a very fulfilling career change for me."

Fast forward to 2012 when the CT position at NHB was posted on USAJobs, the federal government's official job site, and McGibbon jumped at the chance.

One of the driving forces for taking the job for McGibbon was it was listed as a teaching position.

"This really is my dream job," McGibbon said. "I get to train, teach and tutor, and help our doctors and nurses help our patients. I teach Sailors trained as hospital corpsmen how to use the CT. I have gotten five Sailors registered, and three more ready to take the test to become certified. There are also three others currently preparing to achieve their competencies in becoming a CT technologist, which is not easy. When a Sailor comes up and says, 'I passed the [American Registry of Radiologic Technologists] registry,' I get proud and very happy for them. I get goosebumps just thinking about it."

McFarland does, however, attest there is one drawback.

"Unfortunately, there's only one Scott, but we have to operate the CT 24 hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year, so the work he has done creating a training program for our techs has been invaluable in enabling us to provide around-the-clock coverage," said McFarland. "Additionally, under Scott's tutelage, the Navy gains 1-2 radiologic technicians per year who pass their CT registry after a rigorous 18-24 month process, which includes passing a national CT exam and performing over 100 CT scans of innumerable type under Scott's direct supervision."

McFarland acknowledges McGibbon is always eager to help as many patients as he can, always finding a way to support urgent patients, and make the imaging experience as painless, positive, and efficient as possible. NHB's beneficiaries have recognized his effort on their behalf, often citing their great experiences at NHB Radiology via positive ICE comments.

"I really like patient interaction," said McGibbon. "I have come to know my patients. I have had some come by afterwards and bring me a coffee, or just give a hug of thanks. It's been very gratifying."

Even after the Joint Commission survey and Medical IG inspection March 7-10, McGibbon was singled out by the physician inspector for his knowledge and the quality of the CT program he oversees.

"In short, Scott is a treasure whose passion for providing the best service to military members and their beneficiaries is a daily credit both to him and Navy Medicine," said McFarland.

McGibbon even takes care of military working dogs sent from Madigan Army Medical Center to check for such medical concerns as hip dysplasia and spinal arthritis.

"They know my passion to do it; I'm a dog person at heart, also," McGibbon said. "It has been a tremendous honor the few times I have done a scan for them."

Cmdr. Christopher Tepera, NHB urologist and director of Surgical Services is a strong advocate for McGibbon's effort on behalf of others.

"He provides top notch performance in a technical field allowing consulting providers' vital information to appropriately treat patients," said Tepera. "Scott seems to the lay provider to be the consummate professional and an expert in his field. He is always willing to do whatever it takes to get a patient taken care of, regardless of what he has going on already. He is a superstar -- always friendly, always willing to help, always striving to improve the quality of care delivered. Patients have received expedited treatment in my clinic due to his actions."

This year's Radiologic Technology Week might just officially last a week, but the theme Beaming with Pride will continue long after, especially at NHB.

"I come to work happy and leave each day knowing that I made a difference," McGibbon said. "If you can find a job you like, like that, you're blessed."

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For more news from Naval Hospital Bremerton, visit http://www.navy.mil/.