Della Johnson was a 17-year-old high school student working as a nurse's aide when she got her first glimpse of radiology technology.

"I was asked to take a patient down to X-ray and I thought it was interesting," she said.

BARRY WILLIAMS/Special (ENLARGE)

Della Johnson (left) hugs Malissa Smith, radiology inpatient manager at DeKalb Medical. Johnson recently retired as technical director of Imaging Services.

At 62, and after 43 years at DeKalb Medical in Decatur, Johnson retired as the hospital's technical director of Imaging Services in December. For Johnson, retirement means working part time as a mammography specialist at the Diagnostic Breast Center at DeKalb Medical.

Never one to look at the past, Johnson still finds radiology interesting — and can't wait to see what happens next in the field.

"I didn't have a clue how important imaging was going to become or how fast it would grow and change, but I couldn't have picked a better field," said Johnson, MBA, CRA, RT(R). "In 15 years, we'll probably look at all the things we can do now and say we were in the Dark Ages. It'll be like 'Beam me up, Scotty,' from 'Star Trek.' I'm hanging on for that.

Johnson began her training at the University of Alabama before transferring to a radiology program at Atlanta's Piedmont Hospital, where she graduated in 1964.

Her first job was with DeKalb General Hospital's (as it was called then) eight-person radiology department.

"Many of the modalities we use now didn't exist," Johnson said. "There were no CT (computed tomography) scans, no ultrasound, nor MRI or mammography. We did X-ray and some fluoroscopy."

X-ray film had to be developed and then mailed to patients' primary-care physicians.

"Radiologists can view the images immediately now, through computers, and can compare previous and current images at the same time," Johnson said. "A radiology technologist can also adjust the image and manipulate it, so that we can see lots more information now and share it faster."

Thanks to advances in computer technology, imaging is a common diagnostic tool in many medical specialties. Johnson remembers having to X-ray pregnant women when a problem was suspected; now doctors can use ultrasound and avoid subjecting pregnant women to the risks of radiation.

"Before, if a patient had stomach pain, a physician had to do exploratory surgery. Today, an image can pinpoint the problem and help the doctor diagnose it," she said. "Imaging technology even assists physicians during surgery."

Johnson expects the field to advance even further in the future.

"We continue to find new ways to use imaging, and who knows what will happen in the future. I think we're going to see molecular imaging next," she predicted.

In November, Johnson attended the annual conference of the Radiological Society of North America — along with 34,000 other registered radiology technologists — to see the latest innovations and hear papers on new research.

"It still thrills me to learn about new equipment and see the advances we're making in the field. You're never too old to stop learning," said Johnson, who earned her MBA in 1986. "It took 10 years — between work and three kids — but it helped me in my management positions."

During her tenure as DeKalb Medical's technical director of Imaging Services, Johnson oversaw a staff of 200 and helped her department grow from one location to units at three hospitals, a diagnostic imaging center and a breast center.

Johnson's new job lets her get back to one-on-one care.

"I've come 360 degrees. Let someone younger pick up all that administrative work," she said. "I'm back working directly with patients and technology, which I enjoy.

"I've always heard that it's not the destination, but the journey that's important. My journey has been fantastic."