I was inspired to create a piece of X-ray art once it became evident that the best thing we all can do to fight the spread of COVID 19 is to remain at home.  I am an associate professor of radiology at Penn Medicine/Pennsylvania Hospital and have seen a significant change at my hospital and in the radiology department as a result of this pandemic.  As a breast and body imager, I had been reading mammograms and doing breast biopsies 4 days a week and reading CT scans, ultrasounds and radiographs of the abdomen one day a week.  However, we radiologists have cancelled the vast majority of our mammography studies that were being performed as routine screening examinations.  Instead, many of us have shifted to chest imaging to help with the increased number of chest CT scans and chest X-rays that are being performed in patients either who have or are suspected of having COVID. 

For the last several years, as a creative outlet I have been designing unique art pieces inspired by medical images I have seen. over the 25 years of my radiology career.   This piece I have submitted is created from letters, all discovered within the human body.  Included below is a letter key which explains which part of the body and on which imaging study the letter was discovered.  The message here is clear to all; we should keep calm and stay home and soon we will all be on the other side of this dark time in our shared history. 

Susan Summerton, MD

Associate Professor of Radiology

KEEP CALM AND STAY HOME
Letter Key