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ASRT Update - June 25, 2010
- 1. ASRT Update June 25, 2010 Sal Martino, Ed.D., R.T.(R), FASRT, CAE Chief Executive Officer
- 9. Education
- 14. Advocacy
- 20. Average Wage Increases, 2007-2010 Nuclear Medicine 2.5% $ 70,822 Radiography 3.1% 53,953 CT 4.6% 60,586 MR 5.1% 65,098 CV-interventional 5.4% 64,294 Mammography 6.5% 60,263 Sonography 8.5% 68,821 Radiation therapy 10.7% 79,125
- 21. Governance
- 24. Practice Standards Council Open Forum June 26, 7:30 a.m.
- 25. Financial Stability Fiscal Year 2009 Operating profit $ 624,302 Investment gain 754,144 Change in net assets $ 1,378,446
- 27. ASRT Update June 25, 2010 Sal Martino, Ed.D., R.T.(R), FASRT, CAE Chief Executive Officer
Editor's Notes
- In the world we live in today, we tend to think that progress is a given. Every year, computers get faster, technology becomes more powerful, and scientific and medical breakthroughs change our lives. We sometimes take progress for granted, as if it is natural that things will continually grow, improve and expand. But progress is not inevitable and it’s not automatic. Every step requires work. Progress is achieved by experimenting, by implementing ideas that challenge the status quo, and then by improving those ideas. Sometimes progress is incremental, and sometimes it is monumental. But the most important thing is to keep moving forward. In today’s ASRT Update, I will discuss the progress ASRT has made during the past year in four key areas: membership, education, advocacy and governance.
- ASRT’s membership is the largest of any radiologic science association in the world, whether for technologists or for physicians, and is one of the largest allied health memberships in the world. As shown on the slide, we added more than 4,000 members in the 12 months between last year’s annual meeting and this year’s meeting. Our membership is now 135,700. What’s amazing is that we did it during a time when many membership associations were experiencing declines. So how did we continue to make progress in this area? By listening to our members and then giving them what they want.
- For example, many members and prospective members told us that they wanted to be able to split their dues into two payments, to help with their budgeting. As a result, almost exactly a year ago we started giving members the option of paying their dues in installments. Nearly 6,000 members have taken advantage of this payment plan during the past 11 months.
- Mammographers told us that they wanted to receive at least 5 CE credits per year to help them meet their requirements under the Mammography Quality Standards Act. Again, we responded to their needs, and in October of last year we began guaranteeing that their ASRT membership would provide them with access to the 5 credits they need.
- Members told us that they wanted more value for their membership, to ensure that they receive benefits and services that are available exclusively to them. As a result, we negotiated special deals for you on everything from textbooks and software to uniforms and shoes.
- We also made more of the content on our website exclusive to members only, so that you must have a membership number to access it. The information on the site was made possible by your member dues, so we think it’s fair that only members should have free access to it. (As those American Express ads used to say, “Membership has its privileges.”)
- We’re also targeting and personalizing our communications to our members, so you get the information you need, when you need it. The content in the journals, in the rEsources newsletter and on the home page of the website is targeted to your interests, whether you are a student or an educator, a radiation therapist or a CT technologist. We understand that radiologic technology is a diverse profession, so we don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach.
- As you can tell, we are fanatical about researching how we can better serve our members. This year, we started collecting data on the top reasons members belong to ASRT, whether it’s to network or to volunteer, to learn or to teach. This information will help us even further refine how we interact with you and ensure that your membership meets your needs, and that in turn will help us continue to growth in size and influence.
- Our progress in the educational arena was impressive this year. Again, we listened to what you told us you wanted in terms of CE and professional development activities, and we worked hard to bring them to you.
- In February, ASRT completed a first-of-its-kind online educational course on computed tomography called CT Basics. Development of this 14-credit course was in response to requests from ASRT members who told us they needed introductory-level education in CT. It is perfect for those studying for the CT certification exam. Available on the ASRT Web site, the 10-module course covers the fundamentals of CT, cross-sectional anatomy, data acquisition, patient safety and much more. Technologists may take any of the 10 modules individually or complete them all. Those who complete all 10 modules receive a diploma from the ASRT recognizing their achievement. This diploma model is one that we will use for other multi-module courses in the future. It allows technologists to demonstrate to their managers that they have completed a sequential course of significant depth and breadth. Coming in the next few years will be similar online courses on MRI, mammography and sectional anatomy, and next year we will introduce a Clinical Instructors Academy to help prepare technologists who’ve been tapped with supervising the education of radiologic technology students in the clinical environment.
- Another educational resource that we introduced this spring was ASRT’s Skills Assessment Tool. This interactive, online program allows technologists to identify gaps in their professional competencies, identify ways to meet their career goals, and track their professional progress over time. More than two years in development, the Skills Assessment Tool is the centerpiece of “My ASRT,” a one-stop area of the ASRT website that allows members to manage their CE activities and professional development. Best of all, the skills assessment is free to ASRT members as a member benefit.
- Our educational conferences did well for ASRT during the past year. The 2009 Radiation Therapy Conference met its revenue goals despite the challenging economy, drawing more than 1,100 attendees to Chicago in early November for a program filled with top-notch speakers.
- And just a few weeks later was the debut of ASRT@RSNA, an educational track for radiologic technologists at the annual RSNA meeting. Featuring a day and a half of CE courses, the program drew over 300 attendees who included radiologic technologists, radiologists and physicists. One-third of the attendees traveled from outside the United States to participate in the meeting. ASRT will continue to partner with RSNA to offer this valuable educational opportunity for radiologic technologists.
- Advocacy is central to ASRT’s mission, and we work at both the federal and state level to ensure high standards of practice in medical imaging and radiation therapy. During the past year, we strengthened our relationship with key allies and made progress on many legislative, regulatory and advocacy issues that directly affect the radiologic sciences. Safeguarding our members’ jobs, protecting the profession and elevating radiologic science standards are key components of ASRT’s mission.
- A highlight of our advocacy efforts during the past year was our testimony during a Feb. 26 Congressional Hearing. Called by the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, the hearing examined reports of excessive radiation doses delivered during CT examinations and radiation therapy treatments. Vice Speaker of the House Sandra Hayden, B.S., R.T.(T), represented the ASRT at the hearing and encouraged Congress to pass the CARE bill as a method to improve patient safety. Also voicing support for the CARE bill during the hearing were representatives from the American Society for Therapeutic Oncology, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and the Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance. I hope all delegates had an opportunity to watch Sandra’s testimony. She did a great job representing the ASRT and your profession. The ASRT will continue to follow up with Congressional leaders to ensure that the CARE bill is on their list of priorities.
- Also at the federal level, ASRT has lobbied during the past year against proposed changes that could lead to reductions in Medicare reimbursement for medical imaging and radiation oncology, and we have been active in representing the profession on regulatory issues. For example, we have submitted recommendations regarding personnel standards under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, or MIPPA, which will require accreditation of certain facilities that provide MR, CT, PET and nuclear medicine procedures in order to receive payment under Medicare Part B. CMS has named the American College of Radiology, Intersocietal Accreditation Commission and Joint Commission as accreditors under MIPPA. The ASRT also is working with all three accrediting bodies to ensure that their accreditation standards include appropriate personnel qualifications. ASRT has been named as an appointing body to the IAC, which includes postprimary certification for R.T.s in its accreditation standards.
- At the state level, we now have achieved state licensure for radiographers in 39 states, and 45 states now license at least one radiologic science discipline or specialty. Our goal, of course, is to gain licensure for radiographers in all 50 states. In 2010 we will work with our affiliate societies in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Alaska, Georgia and Alabama on licensure bills for radiography and with Missouri on a regulatory approach. Progress continues for the radiologist assistant as well. The growth of the RA career level has been remarkable. Since its development in 2002 by the ASRT, ACR and ARRT, educational programs for RAs have opened at 13 colleges and universities, and 26 states now have specific provisions or licensure allowing RAs to practice. The ASRT and ACR are working with other states to expand RAs’ ability to work throughout the country. We expect to see RA licensure bills in Louisiana, North Carolina, Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island in 2010, and in Indiana and Texas in 2011. The ASRT also is working through CMS to assure appropriate reimbursement for services provided by the radiologist assistant.
- In other advocacy arenas, the ASRT has been an active participant in Image Gently, an awareness campaign undertaken by the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging. The campaign’s goal is to lower radiation dose in the imaging of children. ASRT has developed protocols and training tools for technologists who perform pediatric CT exams, and we are working to produce information about reducing pediatric dose during digital radiography exams, nuclear medicine exams and fluoroscopic procedures. Image Gently has been so successful in raising awareness about radiation safety for pediatric patients that its model will soon be expanded to the general patient population. The ASRT is working with RSNA and the ACR to develop a new campaign, called Image Wisely, that will broaden the message of dose reduction and radiation safety to every type of imaging exam and every patient group. Similar to Image Gently, the Image Wisely campaign will consist of an educational component for providers and an awareness component for patients.
- Another way we advocate for the profession is through our research. No other organization conducts as much research on the radiologic science profession as ASRT does. Last month, we released the results of our 2010 R.T. Wage and Salary Survey. It showed that salaries of radiologic technologists rose by an average of 5.2 percent during the past three years. However, the U.S. inflation rate during the same period was 6.51 percent, meaning wages did not keep up with the cost of living for many of you.
- If you haven’t had a chance, I encourage you to view the full report on the ASRT website. As one of your benefits as an ASRT member, you have full access to the report. As this slide shows, the survey revealed that average wage increases varied by discipline and specialty, ranging from nuclear medicine technologists at 2.5 percent to radiation therapists at 10.7 percent. Radiographers saw their wages increase 3.1 percent during the past three years, with salaries now averaging almost $54,000 per year. The recession may have contributed to the slow growth of wages and salaries for R.T.s, as 37.4 percent of respondents stated that they did not received a pay increase within the past year.
- In the arena of governance, we introduced several new services for affiliates, chapters and other volunteers during the past year. We also changed several of our governance processes.
- For example, in response to member requests, ASRT greatly expanded the amount of candidate information available to voters in the 2010 ASRT election. In addition, candidates for the positions of president-elect, vice president and secretary-treasurer participated in Webinars to answer questions from ASRT members, and profiles of each candidate were featured in ASRT Scanner .
- The ASRT continued to emphasize communication with its volunteers. In addition to the Affiliate Connection newsletter, we also established interactive discussion boards for affiliate leaders and for ASRT chapters. This communication channel allows ASRT volunteers can to share ideas in a peer-to-peer setting. We also presented a series of webinars to provide just-in-time education for affiliate leaders, and we began offering affiliates and chapters one complimentary e-mail blast per year. Affiliates have been using the complimentary e-mail blast to promote conferences or membership, while chapters have been using it to communicate with their members.
- Speaker of the House Donna Long and Chairman of the Board Linda Holden worked with the Practice Standards Council to ensure that it operates in concert with ASRT Bylaws. As a result, many of the group’s policies, procedures and processes were revamped. One of the most important changes is that, beginning at this year’s annual meeting, there will be an open forum to discuss the Scopes of Practice and Practice Standards, similar to the Commission hearing and the open forum on Bylaws. This will ensure that the delegates are fully informed of proposed revisions to the Scopes of Practice and Practice Standards. The open forums will begin tomorrow at 7:30 a.m.
- Thanks to the progress we made in many areas, ASRT’s financial condition improved during the 2009 fiscal year, resulting in an increase in net assets of nearly $1.38 million. A large part of this was due to gains on investments, but we also improved the profitability of our business operations. Our operating profit was the result of prudent financial decisions by the ASRT Board of Directors and staff. We controlled costs in every area of operations while also aggressively pursuing new revenue streams. Complete information about ASRT’s financial performance is available in the 2009 ASRT Annual Report, which is available in your tote bags as well as on the ASRT website.
- There is an old saying that goes, “The person who says it can’t be done is often interrupted by the person doing it.” That’s what the past year has been like for ASRT. We have pushed forward into new membership markets, launched new products and made progress in dozens of areas that are important to our members. But progress should be measured by quality , not quantity. Through our efforts in research, advocacy, education and communication, the ASRT continues to strengthen the radiologic sciences. I am proud of the work the ASRT staff has accomplished on behalf the radiologic science profession, our members and their patients during the past year. The Board members and I will be happy to take your questions now.