Patricia J. (Finocchiaro) Duffy Fund enhances clinical education for Medical Imaging Sciences
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Upon her retirement after nearly 40 years of service to Upstate, Patricia Duffy was most appreciative to all of the clinical instructors who educate MIS students. The Patricia J. (Finocchiaro) Duffy Fund was established in order to enhance clinical education and professional development for Medical Imaging clinical instructors and students. The fund will support conference/seminar attendance for clinical instructors, as well as student needs for their clinical education experience.
Time at Upstate: ‘Joy of My Life’
An accident she had as a junior high cheerleader that led to multiple X-rays with the help of a kind technologist spurred Patricia (Finocchiaro) Duffy, MPS, RT(R)(CT)’72 into a long, rewarding career.
She’s spent most of her 45 years in radiology at Upstate – 40years to be exact. Two of those were as an imaging student, Class of ’72. A staff technologist at University Hospital since 1977, Duffy joined the faculty in 1981, becoming assistant director and clinical coordinator. She later served almost a decade as chair and program director, returning to clinical coordinator afterwards.
“All of it has been the joy of my life, and I will miss my alma mater,” said Duffy as she moves on to emeritus status.
"Pat Duffy has been such a key contributor to the Medical Imaging Sciences program for so many years,” commented MIS chair, David Clemente, MSEd, RT(R),MR’93. “Each of the faculty has known Pat as his or her own instructor and as a colleague. She has been a vital educator of so many who have come through our program.”
Teaching meant making a double difference to Duffy because “it was not only about imparting how to be a technologist, but also how to be compassionate in treating patients. This has meant the world to me.”
In 2000, Duffy was honored with the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. As program director, Duffy was instrumental in the creation of the baccalaureate degree from the associate’s program. She was recognized by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology as the MIS Clinical Education Coordinator.
“As the faculty responsible for teaching all of the positioning principles, conducting all of the positioning labs and all of the lab competencies, it has allowed me to follow through from the classroom, the lab, into the clinical arena to see the progress and development of the student.” Some of the dedicated clinical instructors are alumni, she noted.
Duffy was a founding member of the CHP Alumni Association, serving on the board in the 1990s, and again in 2000.
“Support from alumni enables individuals to become future technologists and helps current faculty attend national meetings,” she said. Duffy herself was given the alumni association’s 2014 Donald C. Goodman Award for Faculty Enrichment, which allowed her to attend a national conference in Rhode Island.
Active on university committees, Duffy also is Life Member/Past President of the Association of Educators in Radiologic Technology of NYS, as well as for the CNY Society of Radiologic Technologists. She is co-chair for the educator group’s annual conference in Lake George.She also served as a board member of the Association of Educators in Imaging and Radiologic Sciences. Currently, she holds an advisory board position for the three-volume 13th edition of Merrill’s text on Radiographic Positioning and Procedures.
Duffy happily asserts, “Students have been my life!”
(Health Professions Alumni Connection, Summer 2015)
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