Most of us remember Mary Lou Retton, who gained international notoriety by winning the All Around Gold Medal in women's gymnastics at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles—the first American woman to ever win gold in gymnastics. She also won silver medals for Team and Vault, and bronze medals for Uneven Bars and Floor Exercise. Her five medals were the most won by any athlete at the 1984 Olympics, and she was the first American ever to win the Olympic All Around Title. Retton was at the top of her game and was clearly the best athlete in the 1984 games. About being the best, Retton says, "As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can—by making the best choices and by making the most of the talents we've been given."

When we set out to compile the Medical Imaging Industry Top 10—a ranking of the industry's 10 best in 10 categories—we wanted to find and acknowledge the best and the brightest in the field of radiology. Our purpose is multifaceted. First, we want the industry's best to be recognized by their peers. Second, we want our readership to learn more about these top performers, to inspire accomplishments, research, and goals of their own. Third, we want to give our readers a chance to voice their opinions.

In terms of the latter, our readers did just that. We emailed about 16,000 of our readers, and received a phenomenal return—9.35%! Voting was available online during the months of October and November 2005. We created a preliminary ballot using suggestions from key hospitals, the vendor community, and our Editorial Advisory Board. The ballot also contained several blank spaces in each category for voters to write in their own choices. Readers were asked to cast their vote based on a number of factors, including research, innovation, industry interaction, patient care and outcomes, attitude, unique solutions, and general knowledge.

The categories are:

1. Radiology department within a hospital
2. Freestanding imaging center or group
3. Radiologist
4. Technologist
5. Radiation oncologist/cancer research
6. Nuclear physicist/nuclear medicine research
7. Cardiovascular imager/cath lab director
8. Women's imaging specialist
9. PACS/RIS/radiology administrator
10. Association/trade show/CME event/imaging-related educational program

Congratulations to everyone included in the first-annual MI Industry Top 10! Your success is our success—keep up the good work. Now, on to the winners. ...